Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Darth Corvus stood by the station, waiting for the train to arrive. It had been days since they had arrived on this godforsaken planet of Olion, where the sun never shone and it was always raining. Several other people waited under the roof, the light of a lamp illuminated a couple of tired faces, coming home from a day’s work. Most people lived regular lives here in the Mid-Rim. 

Darth Corvus however, was not like most people here. They were cloaked in black robes, and were probably one of the only humans there. But also, they were not on their way home from an occupation or an outing with friends or family.

They were here on a mission.

The train arrived quicker than anticipated as they were one of the first to board. They retained a neutral disposition at all times despite the stares they received from some few people. The attention was expected but it still made them feel uneasy. They never liked travelling into Republic territory if they could help it. They took their seat and looked out the window, just as happy as they were nervous to have their lightsaber on them.

The train flew on ahead, and the world around them became a blur. They had gotten what they had come here for, now all was left to do was get back to their ship and leave this planet for good. They’d never need to venture into Republic territory again.

Despite their unease, they managed to lean back against their seat, close their eyes and fell asleep. Despite how anxious they were to leave the planet, it had been over 24 hours since they had slept and they badly needed sleep.

A few hours into the journey and Darth Corvus had woken up to find that the train had stopped. They were ready to grab their bag when they looked out the window and saw that this wasn’t their stop. In fact, it looked like they had stopped in the middle of a town. Their eyes narrowed as panic arose in them, but the Force helped to stabilise and release their emotions, swirling them around and turning them into power.

They sat up and people all around them were a mixture of confused, irritated, and scared. Nobody had left the train in this car. But then that left the single question – why had the train stopped? But before they could get up to investigate, the back door of the car opened and a Olionian male stepped in, holding a blaster and aiming it at everyone!

“Nobody move!” The Olionian yelled as people began to panic but ultimately, nobody dared to move. Darth Corvus could hear the sound of a female or two bursting into hysterics but the Olionian stayed where he was. Darth Corvus was practically to his left. “Empty out your pockets! Now!”

Darth Corvus used the Force to shield themselves from detection as he hadn’t seemed to notice them yet. There was no way she’d be giving up what was in their bag, no kriffing way! The Olionian walked past them as people started to open up their bags. To Corvus’ surprise, three more criminals walked into the car from behind, none of them spotted Corvus. What was even more suspicious was the fact that despite what was in the bags, none of the men took anything.

“Hey!” Corvus’ attention was brought to the Olionian, who looked at her now. Kriff. They let their guard down investigating the bastards! He quickly approached them with the blaster at the ready. “Empty out the bag!”

“Alier, I found it!” Another Olionian male exclaimed, diverting the one whose blaster was pointed at Corvus’ face’ attention away. Corvus took this moment and attacked. 

With a Force push, the Olionian was sent flying against the wall, dropping his blaster. This sent the others into immediate action as they began firing at Corvus, who instantly ducked and dodged the lasers. They had to resist using any Force powers which would be a dead give away to them being a Sith as they knew that once such information got out there, it was very possible people would be coming for them. However, Corvus quickly managed to sense where each of the criminals were and with the fury of being attacked, smashed them all against the walls. One of them was even shot out of a window. 

Corvus could hear people scream and cry as they saw several people begin to run out of the train car. She herself quickly got up and looked around, spotting the criminals. Most of them were down and out, but the fourth criminal was nowhere to be found. Corvus left the train car immediately. People had already begun to file out from other cars as families consoled each other. Authorities were quick on the scene and some people who saw what Corvus had done looked at them with intrigue and reverence. The human didn’t stay, quickly blending into the shadows and walking off.

They’d have to find some other way of reaching their ship.

Obi-Wan was already tired.

When he and Anakin had travelled to Olion for a diplomatic mission on behalf of Senator Dirgel to improve relations with the Monarchy there, neither of the Jedi had expected to be involved in an investigation tracking down a militia group trying to bring down the government. A militia group who just so happened to be separatist sympathisers. The two Jedi Knights had been there for days, but despite everything, they could not find any clues about the whereabouts of the militia. 

Until that day when they suddenly got a report of a train being halted in the middle of a town called Rottegard where citizens were being terrorised by the militia. However, what was intensely curious was the fact that the men had already been taken down by a single person. The militia men were arrested and interrogated by local authorities, but they revealed nothing about why they were on the train, only that some Jedi knocked them out cold before they could get away.

And this left Obi-Wan with a lot of questions as both himself and Anakin were at the police station in Rottegard, where the militia men were being held under arrest. Obi-Wan and Anakin walked down the halls, and despite Olion being technologically advanced, their infrastructure and buildings were still old, probably thousands of years old. That fact alone fascinated Obi-Wan immensely.

“So a Jedi,” Anakin directed Obi-Wan’s attention to him, “Force pushed these goons into the walls and knocked them out? And then didn't stick around?”

“It's indeed rather strange. But also, a Jedi here?” Obi-Wan commented. Anakin’s expression betrayed him as he looked a tad confused as he seemed to catch Obi-Wan’s meaning.

“Wouldn’t the Council have told us about any other Jedi stationed on Olion?” Anakin verbalised what they were both thinking. Obi-Wan shook his head as he rubbed his beard in thought.

“I’ll contact the Council after the interrogation. We’ll see what they say.” Obi-Wan decided. Anakin seemed to favour that plan as he gave no additional comment. The two Jedi were soon greeted by a tall Olionian who bore a Captain’s badge. The Captain grumbled as he laid his four eyes on the Jedi.

“Ah, Jedi, huh? Well, welcome to Olion. I’m assuming you both are here to talk to the scum?” The Captain greeted and asked. Obi-Wan found himself perturbed by the way the Captain spoke, but did not focus on it. 

“Yes, I am General Obi-Wan Kenobi and this is General Anakin Skywalker. We are here to help take down the Militia.” Obi-Wan introduced politely. The Captain chuckled, yet sounded unamused.

“Heh, good luck with that. I’ll take you to the deadbeats.” The Captain said, turning away and expecting the Jedi to follow. Obi-Wan and Anakin traded looks before following the Captain. It didn’t take long to get to the interrogation room, as a guard let them in. Only Anakin and Obi-Wan entered. Cuffed to the chair and seated before a table was one of the militia men, who didn’t look up to meet the Jedi’s gazes.

“Jedi, huh?” He spat, finally looking up at them as the doors closed behind them. “I’ve had enough of you arseholes. Wasn’t us getting a beating by your friend enough?”

“Well, no,” Anakin spoke up with a slightly amused glint in his eyes, “We’re not gonna beat you up.”

“In fact, we’d be very interested to hear about the Jedi who attacked you.” Obi-Wan prodded, hoping the thug would be eager to speak. The Olionian looked at him strangely.

“Aren’t you guys supposed to know where your men come and go? Separatists are right about you guys after all.” He said, glaring at Obi-Wan. The Jedi smiled easily as he took a seat across from him, allowing the comment to slide. He wasn’t going to be offended by some common criminal. 

“Humour us.” Obi-Wan appeased. The Olionian looked between Anakin and himself suspiciously before huffing.

“Fine. They were dressed in black and had weird black tattoos on their face, young human, like yourselves. Hair tied back, brown, slightly tan skin. Kind of pretty for corrupt scum. Didn’t get a name.” The Olionian described. But despite that, neither Obi-Wan nor Anakin were familiar with such a Jedi. Obi-Wan had never heard of a Jedi with such tattoos before and from the look on Anakin’s face, neither had he.

“Can you tell us if they did anything else besides Force push you?” Anakin asked, and Obi-Wan internally congratulated him for his foresight. Perhaps the police had missed something.

“No, didn’t do much else.” The Olionian replied, looking confused by the questions. But if that was the case, then that was not enough information to divulge who this mysterious Jedi was. And this information stumped Obi-Wan.

“If you’ll excuse me for a moment. Anakin.” Obi-Wan excused, standing up and nodding to Anakin, who took Obi-Wan’s seat as he walked out the door. The Jedi Master quickly gathered his bearings as he headed to an isolated spot and contacted the Council. The first Jedi to appear was Master Mace Windu, followed by Master Plo Koon.

“Master Obi-Wan, how may we assist you?” Plo Koon, ever the polite Kel Dor, greeted. Obi-Wan smiled briefly at him before nodding once. 

“Hello Master Windu, Plo Koon, I was hoping to note if any other Jedi are stationed on Olion?” Obi-Wan asked. Plo Koon and Mace Windu traded looks before returning their attention to Obi-Wan.

“A Jedi? As far as we are aware, there are no other Jedi on Olion. Why do you ask?” Mace Windu replied, sounding curious yet also the slightest bit suspicious. The Master in question was always on guard, Obi-Wan knew. 

“A group of militia men were taken down by what they claimed to be a Jedi on a train that they captured. One of the Olionians described this Jedi to be dressed in black, a human, with strange tattoos on their face. Does the description remind you of anybody?” Obi-Wan explained, hoping he’d find out more information. However, neither Plo Koon nor Mace Windu seemed to have answers for him.

“Not that I am aware, no.” Plo Koon replied, sounding curious yet disappointed. “Did the Olionian specify an age and a gender?”

“Only that they were young but no gender. Used they/them pronouns, probably couldn’t tell what their gender was.” Obi-Wan elaborated. 

“That still doesn’t sound like any Jedi we’re aware of. Perhaps Master Yoda would be able to tell since he is one of the eldest in the Temple.” Mace Windu said. As if on cue, the Grandmaster in question walked in and appeared on the holo. 

“Master Yoda.” Obi-Wan greeted. The small green alien smiled in return and nodded once. 

“A question for me you have, hm?” Yoda asked. Obi-Wan relayed all the information he had just told to Plo Koon and Mace Windu, but despite all that he told the Grandmaster, even the short green alien did not seem to know either.

“Hm, interesting. Very interesting. Such a description of a Jedi, recall I do not.” Yoda elaborated, rubbing his chin in thought. “Perhaps not a Jedi, they are. Track down this Force user, you must.”

Obi-Wan nodded as the connection was terminated and he sighed in mild disappointment. He was no closer to discovering who the mysterious Jedi (if they even were a Jedi) was. He hoped Anakin fared better than he did. 

He met Anakin outside of the interrogation room, and the Jedi Knight seemed to be pleased with himself. Obi-Wan raised a brow at the smug look of self satisfaction on his friend’s face. 

“So, how’d it go?” Anakin asked. Obi-Wan vocally sighed. 

“Not very well. Not even Master Yoda has an idea of who the Force user is. Any luck on your end?” Obi-Wan explained and asked.

“Not on that front, no. But I did manage to get the guy to spill what they were looking for on that train.” Anakin replied, his smile returning with a vengeance. At that, Obi-Wan raised a curious brow. 

“Well, don’t hold out on me.” Obi-Wan prodded. Anakin grinned as he knew he had his old master right where he wanted him and Obi-Wan did too. Both had known each other long enough to know of each other’s mannerisms and methods of jest.

“The militia’s been tracking an informant for the Monarchy who has access to vital information about the whereabouts of the Royal Family. And according to the thug, one of the guys who stole it got away – but he refused to give me a name.” Anakin explained. Obi-Wan knew this was very bad news, while the information was very important, it could also spell out certain death for the Royals. They needed to figure out where the escapee was located and find him quickly.

“Maybe this rogue Jedi who took them down would happen to have more information?” Anakin suggested. At that, Obi-Wan’s eyes widened slightly in realisation. Not only was this Force user potentially rogue, but they were also vital to the investigation. Whether or not they wanted to or not, they would need to track down the Jedi.

And fast.

“So any ideas?” Anakin asked.

“We should probably start with the locals who saw the 'Jedi.' They’d probably be able to give us some idea of where they went.” Obi-Wan began strategizing instantly. Anakin nodded in agreement.

“Let’s go get the Captain, he should have an idea of where to start.” Anakin said. Obi-Wan couldn’t agree more.

“They were amazing!” An Olionian child named Leeam exclaimed to the absolute interest of the two Jedi present. Obi-Wan and Anakin had managed to secure a meeting with one of the families who were present on the train that day and saw what the Force User had done. It also happened that Amalee, Leeam’s mother, was the one carrying the information.

“How so?” Obi-Wan questioned, voice lighthearted as he smiled encouragingly at the child. Leeam grinned with awe as he recalled what had happened.

“They took down the bad guys so easily! Just pushing them with the Force! That’s what it’s called right?” Leeam excitedly shouted, unable to remain still in his seat. Obi-Wan found it to be endearing, but it was also important to note that the child did not feel threatened by the Force user in any way.

“We don’t know what would have happened had the Jedi not been on the scene. We probably would have been… well, not here anymore.” Amalee said graciously, but still looked forlorn. “But they still got away with the information.” 

“That’s all right, ma’am. We just need to know more about the Jedi who was on the train with you that night.” Obi-Wan reassured her.

“Yeah, don’t worry.” Anakin intervened to add to the comfort. “We’ve already had security doubled for the Royal Family and they have been relocated, so they will not be harmed.”

“I certainly hope so, as the Militia is resourceful in ways we did not expect.” Amalee expressed sincerely yet honestly. “But regarding this mysterious Jedi you’re trying to find, I’ve heard from a couple of the passengers and eye witnesses that the human fled as soon as people started to leave the train car. I’ve also heard some of the children who were playing in the streets saw a similar figure enter an establishment known as Mayfare’s Inn.” 

“Impressive, you know a lot about the area.” Anakin expressed honestly. Amalee giggled sincerely at that.

“Well, Rottegard is where I live. And in such a close knit community, we’re very aware of what goes on in our town. But, Master Jedi, I’m also an informant for the Royal Family, so it is my job to know what goes on around here.” Amalee explained. Obi-Wan could not detect any deception in her story. She was telling the complete truth.

“Yeah, my mom’s awesome!” Leeam added, grinning happily at his mom, who looked down at her son with all the love in the world. The sight made Obi-Wan smile and his heart melt slightly and he could feel Anakin was feeling similarly.

“That much is evident, little one.” Obi-Wan praised and Leeam looked even prouder of his mom. Obi-Wan then turned to Amalee. “Could you please tell us where Mayfare’s Inn is?”

“Oh, certainly!” She quickly pulled up a map and pointed to where the Inn was located. “Just on the corner of Starlow Avenue and Derlin Street. You can’t miss it.”

“Thank you very much for your time, Ms. Amalee.” Anakin thanked as he and Obi-Wan made their way out of the home of the small family of two. Both of them waved the Jedi goodbye.

“Please don’t hesitate to come around again if you need anything else!” Amalee called out before she closed the front door, leaving Anakin and Obi-Wan in the rain yet again. The two Jedi traded looks.

“Ready to track down a rogue Jedi?” Anakin asked with an eager look on his face. Obi-Wan couldn’t help but return a smile as they both put their hoods on and made their way down the streets of Rottegard.

Darth Corvus sat at a table of the Mayfare Inn’s restaurant. In front of them was a meagre lunch they had purchased for a few Republic Credits. Using Credits was certainly a whole ordeal as they usually tended to use Wupiupi in the Outer Rims and the conversion rates were annoying to deal with, let alone finding someone willing to convert with. But luckily they had taken care of all of that before departing for Olion. 

But they also knew that they’d eventually run out of currency used in this part of the Galaxy if they couldn’t get off the planet soon. The Mayfare’s Inn was pretty inexpensive, but despite that, it was still a place they needed to pay for and, by their own admission, Corvus was a stickler for saving money. 

It had been last night since they’d come here, and it was late. Throughout the previous day, Corvus had done some recon on the surrounding area and how they’d be able to get out of Rottegard. Their ship was in the outskirts of a town called Ilsagard, which was over 200 kilometres away. And walking that distance in the constant rain was not a good idea either as it got cold there at night and Corvus was not about to get hypothermia and die out in the wilderness. And the only way to leave the town was by train, and the next train to arrive would be in a week’s time, and they were going to run out of credits within the next day or so. They also did not want to risk stealing a hovercraft or a ship and be hunted down by Republic authorities before they even got to their own ship. Alongside all of that, staying in one spot for too long was also a bad idea. Sure they kept to themselves, but they knew a small community like this would surely start to gossip, if they weren’t already.

The stress was doubled by the fact that in their bag beside them they carried a very important item to them – the very reason they were even on Olion to begin with. They had been searching for this object for many years now, and it turning up on Olion was a dream come true. The vendor who was selling it had no idea what it truly was and Corvus was content to keep it that way. They bought it for a stupidly decent price.

They looked over the map of the region they were currently in on Olion projected from their armband, trying to find any other way of getting to Ilsagard and off world. But no luck so far. Their best bet was to wait for the next train and sneak on board since they wouldn’t be able to afford the ticket. They had done so before on multiple occasions, but this was Republic space, and if they were caught, it wouldn’t end well. The armband glitched out a few times, and Corvus was forced to smack it so that it wouldn’t die on them. Another issue to worry about. The compounding stress made their head hurt. 

As they were rubbing their head, they heard the sound of the front door of the restaurant open. They couldn’t look over to see who it was without arousing suspicion of any kind. They nearly sighed at their own paranoia, it was truly getting to them. Being constantly on edge wasn’t great either. However, reaching out into the Force, they could detect it was two people who had walked in – humans. That was curious. What were two humans doing on Olion?

Soon the two humans came into view and sat at a table nearby. Corvus did their best to inconspicuously spy on the humans. A waiter came up to the humans and Corvus managed to hear one of them speak. 

“Hello, can I get some tea please?” One of the voices, distinctly Coruscanti, asked. The waiter nodded as he wrote down the order. “Anakin?”

“Oh, uh, you guys have any Carambola juice?” Anakin, as the other human had called him, ordered. The waiter jotted that down.

“Can I get you lads anything else?” The waiter asked. 

“Nothing yet, and thank you.” The other human, who Corvus had yet to properly see, responded. Anakin however, was a man in his younger years, maybe mid twenties like Corvus, and was dressed in dark robes and had his brown hair pulled back. But the robes were familiar and yet…

Oh.

Oh no.

They were Jedi!

Darth Corvus immediately looked away and tried to look as small and yet inconspicuous as humanly possible. This was so kriffing bad! Two Jedi on Olion? Why were there two Jedi on Olion??? The realisation caused them to panic and go into catastrophizing. But they also knew that Jedi could detect emotions and needed to calm down before they got the attention of the Jedi in question. They knew they were being paranoid, there was no reason for the Jedi to be looking for them specifically. 

But the coincidence and timing was crazy if that was the case.

They needed to get out of there and look as innocent as possible. Inhaling softly, they used the Force to mask their presence and made themselves appear Force null as they had done so many times. Step one was done, now they needed to move to step two: make an escape. Thankfully they had already paid for their food and they had all of their belongings with them, they just needed to get out of the Inn and find a spot to hang out in the meantime. In all of their internal panicking, they had completely tuned out everything the Jedi were saying.

Trying not to look suspicious, Corvus stood up, feeling stiff and awkward, but they knew that it was just them being anxious. They were good, they were okay. Now all they needed to do was leave. Walk slowly, but not so slowly! They looked like a common person, their robes were not in any way Sith-like at the moment. They were close, only a few steps away from the door now. The handle was in their reach–

“Mx. Corvus!” Panic shot through every nerve of their body as their eyes widened in horror. But as they registered the voice, they realised it was the waiter who had served them. Schooling their expression and avoiding looking at the Jedi, they turned around to see the waiter smiling reassuringly yet also amused at them. “You forgot your bag.”

“Right.” Corvus wanted to scream at themselves, their voice sounded too soft. Too suspicious. Too anxious. Fuck, kriff, fuck, shit, kriff! Calm down! They walked over to the table and quickly grabbed their bag. As they turned to face back at the door, they caught sight of the two Jedi looking over at the commotion. Both of them looked curious but Anakin looked like he recognised them. 

They couldn’t look for too long however, as they were quick to head out yet again. The look on Anakin’s face made them panic as they walked slightly faster than they intended to. They tried desperately not to look suspicious, but seeing how they froze up at the waiter’s voice, to them, was a dead giveaway. 

But to their absolute relief, they were out the door and closed it behind them. They exhaled heavily once they were outside, but never let their guard down nor did they break their Force masking. They took a few steps, pulling their hood over their head, and was about to step into the rain–

“Mx. Corvus, was it?” 

Corvus’ stomach dropped in absolute horror as they froze in their steps. They hadn’t even heard the door behind them opening again. They had been too relieved to sense the Jedi approaching. They panicked! And for their idiocy, this would be their doom. Terrified, but hoping that the Jedi did not in fact know who they truly were, they turned around to see Anakin and his fellow Jedi standing a few metres away. 

“Can I help you?” Corvus asked, keeping their voice steady. 

“Well, I was hoping you could tell us who you are, you made quite an impression on some of the passengers.” The unnamed one, who Corvus could finally see properly, was a man in his early to perhaps mid 30s, and had dirty blonde yet short hair with vibrant blue eyes and was dressed in light robes. He and Anakin looked the complete opposite of each other. 

“How about you tell me who you are first. I don’t just divulge stuff about myself to randos.” Corvus responded, trying to keep the tone light despite how nervous they were. They managed to focus on their breathing and used the Force to feel their emotions and process them without succumbing to them. Fear was not where they drew power from.

“Ah, terribly sorry, my name is Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Obi-Wan introduced. Corvus looked at his fellow Jedi, hoping for a proper introduction. 

“I’m Anakin Skywalker.” Anakin introduced, despite Corvus already knowing his first name, they needed to pretend they hadn’t been listening in on the conversation before. However, they also happened to spot the lightsabers strapped to the Jedis’ belts at the moment since they were in perfect view. 

“You’re both Jedi.” Corvus observed aloud, so that the Jedi would know that they knew as they looked at the lightsabers. Thankfully, their own lightsaber was concealed behind them, hidden by their cloak. 

“That we are, but don’t think we’ve forgotten about you.” Anakin lightheartedly teased, and Corvus felt like running at that comment. He surely could not know who they truly were.

“What about me?” Corvus replied, crossing their arms and clearly on guard. They didn’t trust these Jedi one bit nor did they like them at the moment. Corvus just wanted to leave and be rid of them.

“Well, we spoke to some of the townsfolk and they told us that you saved them from the Militia by Force pushing the men, which tells us you are a Force user of some kind. They called you a Jedi.” Obi-Wan stated neutrally yet not necessarily with spite or malice. “We’d like to know what happened yesterday.”

At that, Corvus felt their anxiety vanish in an instant. The two Jedi had no clue who they were, let alone that they were a Sith! All this panicking for nothing, bloody hell. But still, they needed to remain vigilant and let nothing slip about their true origins. These were Jedi after all, and if the Jedi knew who they were, they would come out of this with their cover blown and their life being further complicated.

But also, a Jedi? The thought nearly made them laugh, but they restrained themselves. No need to sound suspicious in any possible way.

“Well, I’m not a Jedi obviously, didn’t grow up in the Temple.” Corvus responded easily for that was not a lie. “And what happened yesterday has been, I’m sure, explained to you both.”

“That may be true, but we’d still like to hear your account. We could use what you saw in our investigation.” Obi-Wan explained honestly, and Corvus truly could not detect any deceit in his speech. But then again, Jedi were crafty and dangerous. Not to be trusted.

“Also, out of curiosity, but who trained you?” Anakin interjected, and Corvus internally groaned as they realised that they’d need to come up with a convincing enough lie that didn’t come around to being a full lie.

“My father did, and I highly doubt anything I have in my head could be helpful.” Corvus responded, vague enough while also remaining truthful. Their father did indeed train them. And they genuinely believed nothing they could say to the Jedi would help them in their investigation. They wanted to get rid of the Jedi too after all.

“I’m certain that isn’t true. You got a good look at them I’m sure, and you must be aware that one of them got away.” Obi-Wan argued, tone still pleasant and polite. But what he said was news to Corvus – one of the criminals got away? It seemed that their surprise registered on their face because Obi-Wan looked curious. “Did you know?”

“No, I didn’t actually.” Corvus responded, but found the situation to be rather funny in a weird way as neither party seemed to expect the other’s response. “Though I did happen to hear a name – Alier.”

“None of the others have that name, so it must be the guy who got away!” Anakin deduced with enthusiasm. A slight smile crept across Corvus’ face as they watched how emotive Anakin was. He certainly didn’t seem like a Jedi.

“See?” Obi-Wan interjected with a smug smile on his face. “You do happen to know things we don’t. You also saw what Alier looked like, so you’d be able to recognise him if you saw him.”

“I guess that’s true.” Corvus couldn’t help but agree. Despite their distaste for the Jedi Order, he did have a point. However, before Corvus could argue further, Anakin interjected.

“Well, how about this – if you help us, we can do something for you, how’s that sound?” Anakin suggested, approaching Corvus with no intention of harming them. But even still, it made Corvus uncomfortable. 

However, Anakin’s proposal was certainly tempting. They didn’t want to spend the next week outside and potentially getting sick or worse waiting for a train on which they’d have to sneak on board. They were almost out of credits and they needed help. Badly. 

“I think I’m getting to ya, so, what can we do for you in return?” Anakin teased lightheartedly.

Corvus knew that if they were to take the Jedi’s deal that they’d be spending more time around the two, which could lead to exposure and their cover being blown. And even worse, the Jedi could uncover why Corvus was even on the planet to begin with and Corvus did not want the Jedi to have the item in their bag. However, if they played their cards right and were careful, they could get food, shelter, and have their equipment fixed before getting a ride to Ilsagard and then leaving the planet safe and sound. Despite how much they knew it wouldn’t be the best idea, the offer was a good one – help the Jedi track down the Militiamen and then get a ride to their ship.

“All right. I’ll help you, but in return all I ask is for a place to rest, food, and then when we’re done, a ride to Ilsagard.” Corvus agreed and stated their own terms. 

“We can do that.” Obi-Wan replied. Anakin grinned in satisfaction as Obi-Wan joined them and the two men walked ahead. Corvus followed, slinging their bag over their shoulder.

“We’re staying in our ship, will that be good with you?” Anakin asked and Corvus paused at that. He actually was asking them for their opinion? They knew Anakin could never understand the absolute irony.

“Yeah, that’s completely fine with me.” Corvus stated honestly, feeling slightly more at ease. Anakin had a very relaxing energy to him, one that was familial and friendly in ways Corvus had not expected from Jedi. 

“Wait a moment,” Obi-Wan interjected, and Corvus’ attention was immediately directed to him, “Could we know your full name?”

At that, Corvus nearly panicked. Their full name? Obviously they couldn’t tell two Jedi that their name was Darth Corvus, so they knew they had to come up with something. But yet their entire adult life they had gone by that title. Those who knew them in the Outer Rim knew them as Corvus and nothing else. But it was clear that Obi-Wan seemed to understand that ‘Mx. Corvus’ was not their full name. They couldn’t lie to the Jedi outright, it would be too obvious. And then they realised something as they paused and looked up at him, with him looking at them expectantly. There was something in his blue eyes that told them that he was… okay. 

“Savi. Savi Han. Corvus is a pseudonym.” Savi introduced themselves with a name they hadn’t gone by in many years. Not since their father. The thought made their heart pang with sadness as they tried to maintain eye contact.

“Savi?” Anakin tested the name out with a smile, directing their attention to him. “It’s a nice name.”

“That it is.” Obi-Wan agreed, his voice slightly softer which made Savi feel warm on the inside. They brushed off the feeling as they followed their Jedi companions.

They could only hope this was not a big mistake.

Chapter Text

“So, where are you from?” Anakin asked. Savi couldn’t help but internally groan. They didn’t need the Jedi knowing anything about them, but they very well couldn’t say nothing. That would be even more suspicious. She had allowed the two Jedi to lead her into their ship, so currently Anakin and Obi-Wan were showing them around. 

“I’m kind of from everywhere.” Savi answered in the most non-answer possible, though it was completely true. “I grew up on my ship with my family’s Droid.”

“You said your surname was Han, wasn’t it?” Obi-Wan asked, though to Savi it seemed more like an interrogation. They furrowed their brows at him, almost challengingly. He didn’t seem to take it personally.

“Yes, what about it?” Savi asked, trying to keep their tone neutral. 

“It’s just not a surname I’ve ever heard of before.” Obi-Wan replied. “Which leads me to assume that you were not misleading us when you said your father wasn’t a Jedi.”

“Is this an interrogation?” Savi questioned, feeling defensive. She didn’t like how the Jedi were asking about her father. “I don’t really feel like I am trusted here. If you want my help, you have to lay off.”

“Woah, hey, it’s okay!” Anakin reassured her, raising his hands with a comforting smile. “This isn’t an interrogation, because you can ask us just the same.”

“Really?” Savi asked, trying to mask their disbelief, but it kind of failed. 

“Yeah, we’re open books.” Anakin replied, easy-going as ever. The disguised Sith paused to consider what to ask the two Jedi, but before they could think further, Obi-Wan stopped.

“Will you both excuse me? I need to contact the police to have them run a database search for the name Alier.” He requested. Anakin nodded.

“No problem, I’ll keep Savi company.” The younger Jedi replied. Savi didn’t see any issue with this and nodded wordlessly. Obi-Wan gave them a polite smile before he walked off and disappeared. “Don’t worry about him,” Anakin’s voice grabbed Savi’s attention, “He’s just really curious. We’ve never met a Force sensitive person who wasn't a Sith or Jedi.”

“Well, now you do know someone.” Savi replied, feeling good about having fooled the Jedi for the time being. The two didn’t need to know about them actually being a Sith, and the sooner they got away, the better. “I do have a question – where are you from?”

“Ah, that’s a good question. I’m from Tatooine, Obi-Wan’s from Coruscant.” Anakin replied, and Savi could sense no deception in his words. He was being truthful. However, the mention of Tatooine caused them to raise a brow. That was an Outer Rim planet, out of Republic control and was owned by the Hutts. It was a despicable place and Savi wanted nothing more at times than to destroy the criminal empire. But that would be a rather foolish move on their part. They wanted to survive, not be targeted by more people, especially some of the most notorious crime families in the galaxy. 

But for Anakin to have become a Jedi, the Jedi would have to have come out there for younglings, which Savi knew they didn’t do. So what was so special about Anakin? 

“The Jedi came out there for you? They don’t usually do that.” Savi asked, genuinely curious about this. Anakin’s expression darkened slightly as he grimaced. 

“I was a slave on Tatooine. Ten years ago, Obi-Wan’s master found me by accident and rescued me. He wanted to train me. I was nine.” He elaborated. That surprised Savi - Anakin was a slave? And now he was a Jedi? It was the strangest thing they had ever heard but yet also interesting. They were sure there was more to the story, but didn’t want to pester him about it. Being a slave was not a fun nor happy state of being. But not only that, he was found by a Jedi by complete accident when he was nine! Did he have any family on Tatooine? She didn’t dare ask him that, since that was a sensitive topic, especially if said family was still enslaved. 

“That is horrible, I am so sorry…” Savi said, sending comforting feelings through the Force, hoping to make him feel at least comfortable around them. But they also couldn’t help their own anger at the continued existence of the horrid practice Anakin went through. “Slavery is an evil that should not exist. If it were up to me, Anakin, I’d kill all of those slaver scum.”

“I… I really appreciate that.” Anakin thanked, though he was definitely taken aback by Savi’s intensity. She realised this and quickly calmed the anger, lest it bleed into the Force and him sense them using Darkside powers. 

As they examined Anakin more closely, they reached out with the Force to sense him, and nearly stumbled back by just how powerful he was – It was insane! Savi had never felt such an intense presence of the Force around someone and yet here was Anakin. But also, they saw a lot of fear in him, a trait that was a misused and negative aspect of the Darkside. They wondered if Anakin had ever thought to perhaps try and deal with it, before they remembered he was a Jedi and was probably never taught anything regarding the Darkside except that the Darkside was bad and horrible.

But he was also sincere and honest and not afraid of expressing himself – traits Savi was taught that the Jedi didn’t care too much for. They were certainly surprised by how different he was compared to Obi-Wan. However, Anakin seemed to be a rather special case, and honestly, they rather liked the younger man. 

“Of course, Anakin.” Savi replied, sincerely despite everything. The Jedi smiled before he continued on with the tour, showing Savi all the important spots like where to get food and also where they would be sleeping – a small room with a bed and a closet and that was about it. 

“I’ll let you get settled in. We’re gonna have breakfast tomorrow, if you wanna join us?” Anakin asked. Savi smiled as they nodded.

“Definitely!” They replied with a smile. It was easy to relax around Anakin as they felt like he wouldn’t judge them. But again, she could never be truly sure. Jedi could be ruthless just as much as a Sith could be. Anakin gave Savi a nod before leaving, the door sliding close after him. 

“Their name is Savi Han, but they used a pseudonym before introducing themselves – Corvus. They’re also not a Jedi and were trained by their father.” Obi-Wan finished explaining, speaking to the holographic projections of Masters Mace Windu, Plo-Koon, Aiba Crylau, and Yoda. All four masters were intrigued and definitely perplexed by the information Obi-Wan was giving them all. 

“It seems as though Mx Han is certainly a curious one.” Plo-Koon commented, looking deep in thought. 

“It’s possible that they could also be a Sith.” Mace Windu suggested, though his suggestion sounded more like an observation. Obi-Wan didn’t really buy it and none of the others seemed to as well.

“A Sith, Savi Han could be. But remember that there are only two, we must. ” Yoda replied.

“Simply being someone who is not a Jedi and knowing how to use the Force does not damn them as a Sith.” Aiba added, though her tone was neutral, there was still a slight argumentative edge to it. Obi-Wan didn’t miss the way Mace Windu’s eyes snapped to her in that moment, though the Jedi Master didn’t dare comment on it. 

“I am not intending to be naive, but Mx Han is also just… very pleasant.” Obi-Wan added, feeling the need to defend the enbie to some degree but also to step away from any tension. Savi was nothing like any Sith the Jedi Master had ever encountered. Sure, they were blunt and brash but not cruel and malicious, at least not to Obi-Wan’s knowledge. And unless his attunement to the Force was growing weaker, he couldn’t sense a single harmful intention towards… Well, anybody really.

“Savi Han could also be trying to deceive you.” Mace said neutrally. “I’d still advise caution, even if it turns out they aren’t a Sith.”

“I find it rather difficult to believe that a person whose only requests were shelter, food, and a ride to another town has any ill intentions for you and Skywalker.” Plo-Koon defended, despite speaking to Obi-Wan in this instance, his comments were directed at Mace Windu.

“Advise caution still, I would. Dangerous times, these are. But allow Savi Han to help, you will.” Yoda concluded. Obi-Wan nodded and was about to sign off, only to stop his lips as Plo-Koon spoke. 

“The name Han does sound familiar… perhaps I had read about the surname in the archives… I would need to look through them and find it again.” The Kel Dor elaborated. Obi-Wan’s attention was certainly caught – had Savi’s surname really perhaps been in the Jedi archives? This definitely seemed to grab everyone’s attention and curiosity. 

“Meet this Savi Han, the Council should. If possible.” Yoda requested as Obi-Wan grimaced slightly.

“I don’t know how possible that will be, Master Yoda,” Obi-Wan said, “Anakin and I did promise to give them a ride to Ilsegard after the investigation is over.”

“It cannot hurt to try asking.” Mace Windu added. “I, for one, am very curious about this Force sensitive.”

“Understood.” Obi-Wan replied with a single nod before disconnecting from the holoprojections. He sighed as he looked down at the comlink before shaking his head and walking away. He needed to do the report as soon as possible anyway.

The alarm rang as Savi reached for it and unsuccessfully tried to smack it off. By the time their patience was wearing thin, they shot the damn thing across the room with a Force push and it smacked against the wall, turning it off.

They groaned as they slowly sat up, feeling the light airiness of their under-robes before reaching for the layers they’d need to put on. She had hidden her lightsaber beneath the mattress while they were sleeping and quickly equipped it after putting on the outer robes, hiding it on their back yet again. The Jedi did not need to see a red lightsaber in Savi’s possession. 

With a confident look, they stepped into the hallway and walked to the dining room, where Anakin had shown them. She easily found the two Jedi, sitting together at a table, eating some local food. Anakin was the first to spot them.

“Hey Savi! Come join us!” He greeted her with enthusiasm. The disguised Sith couldn’t help the small smile as they sat beside the Jedi Knight, who quickly levitated a plate to them. Savi met Obi-Wan’s gaze shortly thereafter, who nodded with politeness at them.

“Good morning.” He greeted, and the Sith smiled in response.

“Morning to you too.” She responded as she began to eat her food, going at a slightly faster pace than either of the Jedi. 

“Hey, it’s okay, we’re not gonna steal your food from you.” Anakin chuckled. Savi met his gaze before nodding sheepishly and eating at a forced slower pace. 

“Something tells me you’ve not really been able to enjoy a good meal recently,” Obi-Wan assumed. Savi looked away, definitely feeling like the Jedi had read them for filth, but was also making a mental note to try and not be so obvious.

“That obvious, huh?” She replied. Anakin snorted as Obi-Wan levelled Savi with a lighthearted ‘no shit’ look. It made Savi giggle despite themselves. “Yeah, it’s uh… it’s been a rough couple of years.”

“Why’s that?” Anakin asked, sounding genuinely curious. Savi didn’t want to reveal too much, knowing that if they made any allusion to being a Sith that it would put suspicion on them. And while Obi-Wan was… charming, he was certainly the more suspicious of the two.

“Since the Jedi have increased their watch in the Republic due to Sith being discovered on Naboo, it’s been harder and harder to really blend in with the crowd. The Jedi don’t really trust any Force user who isn’t a Jedi, so I’ve been… well, nervous. I was hoping, perhaps naively, that I’d be undetected and remain that way.” Savi explained, feeling like she had done a good job at explaining the whole ordeal without revealing too much.

“The Jedi have mistreated non-Jedi Force users in the past?” Obi-Wan asked, and Savi noted the intrigue albeit the definite confusion in his tone. As much as they wanted to blow the Jedi’s minds with all the information they knew about the Order from an outside perspective, they didn’t really want to reveal too much about themselves let alone talk about past traumas.

“Let’s just say that I personally have had… negative experiences with them.” She said, being purposefully vague. Anakin seemed to take this at face-value while Savi could sense Obi-Wan’s suspicion that there was more to the story, which there obviously was. Not that they’d reveal anything to the Jedi.

“That doesn’t sound good,” Anakin reassured Savi, who smiled at the Jedi with kindness. Anakin seemed to actually be more empathetic than his counterpart, which she appreciated a lot more than Obi-Wan’s air of dispassionate curiosity. “I’m sure Obi-Wan and I will agree that we won’t be causing you any issues, so long as you don’t harm anybody.”

“I wouldn’t go out of my way to hurt innocent people.” And the Sith who do are the vilest of scum . Savi added mentally. It reminded them how an old Sith Empire thrived on the usage of slavery and the abuse of anyone who wasn’t human. That was something Savi never wanted to see happen again. The goals of a Sith were strength but not cruelty, after all.

“That is certainly reassuring.” Obi-Wan stated, and Savi could sense a sliver of relief exit his Force presence. Despite how much of the Lightside Obi-Wan radiated, he was not emotionless as the Jedi probably had trained him to be. It was something Savi could never understand, after all. To Savi’s knowledge, the Jedi seemed to think that the Lightside was the only good thing and the Darkside was evil.

Imagine if they knew who I really was .

They didn’t want to think about that possibility. So, instead they focused back on Anakin.

“What’s on today’s agenda?”

Standing in the Police department was not what Savi wanted to do and they made that very clear from the expression on their face. They glowered at police who walked by and they sent sympathetic looks to the poor sods who’d been arrested. Anakin caught them and gave them a curious look, to which the enbie gave him an expression that said ‘why aren’t you doing the same?’ Either way, it didn’t take long for Obi-Wan to return with the Police captain, who brought them all into his office.

With a few quick words of introductions, the Police captain pulled out a profile alongside an image of a very familiar face. The way Savi’s eyes widened seemed to alert the captain.

“I’m guessing you know who this scumbag is?” The captain asked. Savi nodded in agreement.

“Yeah, his name is Alier. He and four others raided the train I was on. I fought some of them but Alier escaped.” They explained, clutching the bag they carried with them subconsciously. The fact that these guys almost got what they had in their bag terrified them. 

“Alier, huh?” The Captain voiced. Savi nodded. The Captain exhaled as he opened up a small device with a touch screen on it. With a few taps, a whole list of people emerged. The Captain did a few more things on the device before he looked satisfied. “Alier Dormeheev. This is our guy.”

The Captain showed the Force sensitives the profile on Alier Dormeheev. The photos were a direct match, and a few important details were noted, including the criminal’s last known residence. A home in the settlement of Hasengard, which was about 50 kilometres away. Obi-Wan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“If we search his residence, I’m sure we’ll find something to forward our investigation.” Obi-Wan remarked. Anakin uncrossed his arms as he smiled.

“Well, what are we waiting for?” Anakin urged, and he headed for the door. Obi-Wan sighed under his breath and Savi giggled quietly. The Jedi and Sith followed Anakin out the door soon thereafter. 

About half an hour later, the trio arrived in Hasengard without issue. They landed the ship near the home of Alier, and quietly and stealthily approached the house. There were no lights on within the building, and for the most part, it almost looked abandoned. Savi searched the house with the Force, grasping to see if there was anybody in the building. When they didn’t sense anybody, they quickly approached the front door with Obi-Wan and Anakin in tow. And with a single Force push, the door was opened. 

“Split up,” Obi-Wan practically ordered quietly. “Look for anything suspicious.”

Savi quickly started their search, which took them into a bedroom. On the floor were spare belongings, a mattress, and not much else. But near the mattress, they did find a photograph under the mattress. It looked to be of Alier and a young girl who looked a lot like him. They looked happy together.

Savi tossed the photograph away like it was poison as they stared at it hard as it fell to the floor. They breathed heavily as they struggled to regain control of their emotions. When they finally did regain some semblance of normality, they turned and nearly drew their lightsaber when they saw Obi-Wan standing in the doorway. He was watching them inquisitively but raised his hands up to show he meant no harm. Savi relaxed as they smiled sardonically.

“See anything you like?” They flirted, and they almost swore they saw Obi-Wan’s cheeks turn slightly pink. 

“Nothing yet, no,” he remarked, voice business-like and not at all engaging with the flirtations. Savi was relieved that he did not ask about why they were staring so intently at the wall or why their emotions seemed to be raging within them. They hoped he would forget about it.

“Hey, guys!” Anakin called out from another area. Obi-Wan and Savi traded looks before they both went over to the youngest. Anakin was standing in front of a now open door. “I think I found something.” 

There was a flight of stairs that led downwards, perhaps into some kind of basement? It was dark and there was no lightswitch or obvious method to turn on any lights. Obi-Wan was the first to go down before he was followed by Anakin. Savi hesitated but with a deep breath, they followed as well. Even though they were no longer a child, the dark still frightened them somewhat. What did help was that their strength in the Force allowed them to sense if there was anything hiding in the darkness.

It didn’t take long for them all to enter into the basement, which was still shrouded in darkness. Obi-Wan and Anakin drew their lightsabers, which helped illuminate the area. From the limited amount they could see, they realised that this was some kind of makeshift laboratory. And much like the rest of the building, it looked to have not had any physical presence for a while.

“What is this place?” Obi-Wan asked. Savi drifted away from the two Jedi and examined the countertop where several vials and bottles of all kinds of liquids were placed atop. Savi couldn’t recognise anything in this lighting. 

“I’m not sure,” Savi replied, looking around to try and see if there was any kind of light to turn on. However, Obi-Wan beat them to it as the lights flickered on. The lab was now completely illuminated. Savi took a closer look at the liquids, most of which were completely transparent as Obi-Wan and Anakin approached.

“What is this stuff?” Anakin asked, gesturing to the liquids. 

“I have no idea,” Obi-Wan replied, looking over the equipment carefully. There were a few plates of sheet metal in a corner. However, as Anakin popped open one of the bottles and took a sniff, the lack of any kind of smell alerted Savi immediately. They carefully snatched the bottle out of Anakin’s hand, to his vocal protest, and allowed a single drop to hit a piece of sheet metal. As expected, the liquid did nothing but drip down and onto the floor. A warmth emanated from the bottle that Savi also recognised. Both Jedi watched them curiously as Savi’s face lit up with realisation.

“This is Hira Poison,” Savi revealed. Anakin and Obi-Wan traded confused looks before they looked to Savi for an explanation. Savi’s eyes widened in horror as they realised the Jedi genuinely did not know what that was. They carefully screwed the cap back onto the bottle and placed it back on the countertop. “It’s an extremely deadly poison and its recipe was thought to be lost. It was used in the Great Galactic war to assassinate people. It kills you by targeting your nervous system and slowly shutting you down. It also makes you deathly afraid of water. It’s lack of odour, colour, and how much it looks like water was perfect for such purposes. Only a drop is enough. And because the recipe was lost to time and virtually untraceable after ingestion, there is no antidote or cure that exists in modern times.”

As Savi finished explaining what the chemical was, Anakin and Obi-Wan both looked uneasy by something so deadly. And the fact that there was no known cure for such a deadly chemical was even more harrowing. The silence that followed was thick, but it was soon broken by the elder Jedi.

“This begs the question – how did a militia group find this ancient poison and learn how to make it?” Obi-Wan inquired. 

“That I have no idea,” Savi replied. 

“Wait a minute,” Anakin interrupted. “If neither of us knew what it was, and it’s been supposedly forgotten, how did you know about it?”

Savi knew they had to lie about this. The only detail they were omitting was the fact that Hira poison was specifically and practically exclusively used by Sith. Savi only knew about it because it was part of Sith history. But they also were immensely curious and concerned by the fact that a random militia group had the recipe for it. They couldn’t have randomly stumbled upon it, no. The recipe was a carefully guarded secret among the Sith and only a few knew how to make it. To Savi’s knowledge, it had never been written down. They put these thoughts aside for the time being.

“I’m kind of a history buff,” Savi half-lied. This was true, they were a historian… of Sith cultures and history. But neither Anakin or Obi-Wan needed to know that. “I happen to know a lot about this stuff.”

“Well, your knowledge has come in handy so far,” Obi-Wan remarked with levity. However, it was Anakin who still looked curious and borderline suspicious. Whatever he thought, he did not vocalise. But before anything else could be said, Savi detected something in the Force.

“I sense something,” they said. Obi-Wan and Anakin also seemed to sense the exact same thing. A presence. The two Jedi quickly raced upstairs, silent as can be. Savi followed behind them, but not before pocketing a vial of the poison.

Upstairs, the three Force users find a familiar face rummaging through a metal box in the living room. Alier instantly looked up at the on-coming Jedi and Sith before he bolted out the door, making his way into the dense forest beyond his property. The trio pursued him, and even with their Force powers, Alier was an Olionian and was incredibly quick as a result.

“Piss off, Jedi scum!” Alier yelled before briefly turning as he ran to fire at the Jedi and Sith with his blaster. Obi-Wan and Anakin easily reflect the lasers with their lightsabers, while Savi had to resort to dodging and weaving. Frustrated, Savi groaned in annoyance as their patience was running thin. With a well-timed leap, they flew through the air and landed significantly closer to the speedy Olionian before resuming their chase. They barely noticed Anakin following close by as Obi-Wan seemed to be losing his momentum. 

But even with Anakin and Savi hot on Alier’s tail, they knew they’d tire out long before the Olionian did. If any species could keep up with and even outpace Jedi, it would be Olionians. And both the Jedi and the Sith knew that. 

I could Force choke him .

The thought crossed Savi’s mind, but just as it did, they shot it down. With a Jedi right behind them and another one a bit away, a Force choke could be a dead giveaway to being a Darkside user. However, as Alier was getting away inch by inch and the Force users were tiring out, Savi felt like they didn’t have too much of a choice at the moment. As much as the thought of letting Alier go to preserve their cover enticed them, Savi knew that if Alier got away, it would probably be impossible to track his whereabouts. Alongside the fact that he was concocting an extremely deadly Sith poison in his basement. Savi wanted to know where he got the recipe from. And they knew this was their only chance.

Kriff.

Alier stopped suddenly in his tracks as he was lifted into the air, clutching at his neck as he struggled to breathe. Anakin stumbled as he stopped and stared up at the Olionian in confusion. However, the young man almost missed the fact that he ran past Savi who stopped rather quickly. He could feel a dark presence behind him as he spun around to lock eyes with the strange human.

Savi was emanating the dark side of the Force as they choked the Olionian while holding him up in the air. And the realisation of what Savi was slowly started to creep in as Anakin didn’t know what to say or do. Savi glanced at him and Anakin saw something he was not expecting to see.

Fear .

And not of the power they wielded or the manner in which they used it, but rather of him . Of Anakin. Fear of rejection, fear of danger, fear of being exposed.

And just as quickly as he saw it, it vanished as they looked away. Savi lowered the Olionian, allowing Anakin to handcuff Alier. The Olionian was almost completely out of it as he coughed and inhaled deeply. Anakin looked back at Savi, who met his gaze warily. The Jedi did not know what to do.

“Oh, good, you caught him!” The familiar voice of his former master, Obi-Wan, exclaimed. Anakin met Obi-Wan’s eyes, trying to hide all of his unease and worry. Savi barely looked at them both.

“Yeah, we got him,” Anakin replied, knowing he definitely sounded awkward. Obi-Wan caught on, of course, and looked at Anakin and then at Savi. Anakin could tell his former master was trying to sense what was going on.

“Is something wrong?” Obi-Wan asked. 

“I…” Anakin began, but he paused. He spared a look towards Savi, who looked like they were completely devoid of emotion. But Anakin could sense something just beneath the facade. It felt like a pot with water that was just about to boil covered with a lid. He didn’t want to lift the lid or try and prod any further. But from what he could sense, he knew Savi was freaking out.

He did not know why, but at that moment, he knew he couldn’t give Savi’s secret away. There was something else to them, and from what Anakin had seen of Savi thus far, they did not seem evil or malicious in the slightest. He got the impression that while they definitely lied about a few things, there were still inklings of truth in their words. Savi did not at all act like any Sith lord he had ever encountered, and that was incredibly curious and intriguing.

But he knew Obi-Wan would not see it that way. Obi-Wan was a Jedi traditionalist, and Anakin knew that if Obi-Wan would not approve of his marriage to Padme then he definitely would not approve of Savi being a Sith.

“I managed to catch up with him and with Savi’s help, we nailed the guy.” Anakin explained, his tone victorious and enthused. He did not miss how Savi looked at him with widened eyes as it seemed they didn’t expect that. However, as Obi-Wan’s eyes searched the two, Savi’s expression mirrored Anakin’s as close as they could. They still looked rather awkward and uneasy, but Obi-Wan seemed to buy it.

“Well, I’m glad you both caught him. We do have a couple questions for him after all.” Obi-Wan said, with a slight hint of jovialness. As Obi-Wan grabbed Alier and started walking back with the criminal in tow, Anakin looked over at Savi. They looked up at him, still rather unsure but also gratefully. 

“Thank you.” They mouthed to him. Anakin gave them an awkward thumbs up as the two followed behind Obi-Wan.

Anakin could only hope he didn’t make a huge mistake.

O

O

Chapter Text

“Where is the main base, Derdu scum?!” 

Savi flinched as they watched the police captain shout profanities at Alier from behind a mirrored window. They stood beside Anakin, who was also watching the display with interest and a fixed gaze. They didn’t dare look at their Jedi companion for too long, fearing at any moment he would change his mind and rat them out. The anxiety was persistent for the whole ride back to Rottegard. So, as they stood in the police department, they began to wonder if perhaps they’d ever get off this planet in one piece. 

“So, any new developments?” Obi-Wan asked, surprising Savi out of their spiralling. 

“If you consider the Captain shouting at the guy to be developments, then yes,” Anakin replied. Savi didn’t have anything to say so they stayed silent as they continued to watch what was going on. However, it seemed the police captain had enough as he walked out of the interrogation room and found the Force sensitives. 

“The guy’s tight-lipped. Haven’t gotten anything outta him.” The Captain explained with a grunt. Savi eyed the captain and then the Olionian prisoner in the room. Their spiralling thoughts were forgone for the sake of their own questions regarding Alier. Most notably – where did he get the recipe for the Hira poison? As much as Savi couldn’t stand the Republic and hated their Jedi soldiers, they knew that anyone having access to such a deadly poison was bad news for anybody in the galaxy. 

“Hey, Savi?” Anakin said, turning their attention to him. “Obi-Wan and I are gonna head out for lunch, do you want to come?”

“Oh, uh, yeah! Just give me a sec, okay?” Savi replied, feeling awkward. Anakin’s tone was completely relaxed, as if he had no idea that Savi was a Sith. It confused them, but Savi wouldn’t look a gift-starship in the thrusters. Their eyes lingered on the two Jedi and Captain before they stepped out the door. The Sith was surprised by how seemingly trusting the Jedi were towards them. But then again, Savi hadn’t given the Jedi a reason to distrust them. They sighed before their gaze turned back to Alier, still seated and handcuffed. 

They could feel the familiar presence of Anakin as he entered back into the room. Savi looked back over with confusion to see that he had dropped the act and was now just staring at them. The two didn’t look away from one another and a part of Savi began to wonder if they’d be killed right then and there. They used the Force to gently tug at the lightsaber hidden on them, but made no moves yet.

“Sorry, I…” Anakin spoke up, though Savi could tell he wasn’t even sure what to say. “Have you always been a..?”

“A Sith?” Savi interrupted him, hating how thick the tension was. Though they did have the common sense to check to make sure there were no cameras or listening devices. They wanted to get this interaction over and done with. Anakin nodded. Savi exhaled. “Yes, my entire family lineage are Sith. Been that way for centuries, if not millennia.” 

Anakin listened with rapt interest, clearly having never met a non-hostile Sith before. Savi couldn’t really read him, but they could sense a struggle within him, though it eluded them. Savi couldn’t help but wonder if this was the smartest thing for them to do either. Revealing themselves to a Jedi after only two days of knowing him? Yeah, real smart. Their father wouldn’t have been pleased. 

But the Jedi still seemed to be mulling something over, eyeing Savi every so often, as if checking for something. At the very least, it seemed like he wouldn’t attack them, so they relaxed a bit. Emphasis on a bit . 

“I know that the Sith are the enemy of the Jedi. And for all I know, you could be a Separatist spy. Obi-Wan would think so.” Anakin voiced, though his voice lacked the conviction that one would have while making such claims. 

“And what do you think..?” Savi asked, almost daring to test the waters, though they themselves struggled to maintain their composure. Anakin’s eyes finally met theirs, and he did not look away that time. 

“I want to hear your perspective. I have my thoughts, but I want to hear from you.” Anakin replied, confident and yet composed. Savi paused as they tried to think of what would be a good reply. Their natural instinct was to tell a white lie and be done, but for some reason, they knew that wouldn’t get them far here. Anakin would not expose them if they were honest. They hoped he would sense the truth to their words, and they allowed the borders of their mind to lower just enough for Anakin to sense it.

“I appreciate that,” Savi stated before continuing. “I care nothing for the Separatists or their governments. What I do care about is how the Republic has treated these systems, but I cannot work with Sith who betray the very ideals of our Code and who have no place for me among their ranks. You don’t have to believe me, of course, but it is safer for me to remain in hiding than it would be for me to join the Separatists.”

Anakin seemed to mull that over with curiosity. And Savi never looked away from him, trying to gauge any possible microexpression or emotions leaking out into the Force. But he did a surprisingly good job of keeping them locked away. When he finally did speak, it surprised Savi. 

“I know you’ve been secretive about some details regarding your past, but I never got the impression you were completely lying. And your story about being stuck on this planet and needing our help to get off, considering how you were so quick to try and get away from us, I don’t think you’re a spy. If you were, you’d be a pretty bad spy.” Anakin explained. Savi couldn’t help but roll their eyes at his last comment, though it was clearly in jest. “If you were a spy, why help Jedi take down a Militia group that is allied with the Separatists? Sure, you could be playing the waiting game, but that still doesn’t make sense with the previous context. So with what I know about you so far, and what you have told me just now, I do believe you.”

Savi let out a sigh of relief as they were glad that he wouldn’t tell anybody who they truly were. They sat down on a nearby chair, finally feeling calm enough to relax.

“Though I am curious about three things,” Anakin added. “Why wouldn’t the Separatists accept you? You also mentioned that you had negative experiences with Jedi in the past? Why are you on this planet?”

“One. The Separatists are protected by Count Dooku and his Apprentice, and from what I know of them, they deeply respect and subscribe to Darth Bane’s Rule of Two. In case you don’t know, the Rule of Two was created because several Sith families kept betraying and killing each other, so Darth Bane exterminated many Sith families and made it so that there could only ever be two Sith Lords at a time for the sake of control.” Savi explained, with a hint of disgust to their tone. Remembering that Darth Bane had even existed enraged them. But Anakin didn’t need to know why.

“I see,” Anakin replied. “That makes sense to me.”

“Two. My past experiences with Jedi are…”— Traumatic, terrifying, pain, burning, burning, sizzling, flesh, sizzling flesh, dead, death, death, death — “...painful. I don’t want to talk about that.”

“I can respect that,” Anakin said with the utmost sincerity, as if he himself understood. Savi would not have been surprised, considering he was once a slave after all. A slave’s life is always traumatic.

“Three. Why am I here, you ask?” Savi replied, reaching into their bag to touch the object they kept hidden from everyone, fidgeting with it. They considered sharing the knowledge with Anakin, showing him why they would go out of their way to risk their life to get it. But even so, they barely knew him. Even if Anakin could be a trustworthy ally, they had to be absolutely certain. And that was almost impossible with him being a Jedi. “I’m looking for family heirlooms.” 

They pulled their hand out of their bag and the comforting power of the knowledge contained within it was hidden yet again. 

“Not gonna divulge?” Anakin prodded, yet it was clear he wasn’t going to force Savi to reveal their goals. 

“Nope,” Savi replied. Anakin raised his hands up in mock surrender as he smiled easily.

“Fair enough,” he said. Savi couldn’t help but smile in return. “Though, there is something I am worried about.”

“What’s that?” Savi perked up, their anxiety creeping out a bit before being shoved back down.

“That poison you told us about? Hira, right? Why would some Militia men have the recipe for it if you said it’s been lost to time?” Anakin asked. At that, Savi thought but did not have an exact answer.

“One thing I didn’t mention was that the poison was specifically used among the Sith, and how to make it was a secret kept under lock and key even among them.” Savi explained. Anakin’s eyes widened as he came to a realisation. And just as he did, so did Savi. “Do you think–?”

“That a Sith could have given the Militia the recipe?” Anakin finished their sentence for them. Savi nodded. 

“It has to be! Maybe Count Dooku?” 

“It’s possible, but from what you told me, this poison is ancient, and its recipe was lost about a thousand years ago.” Savi raised their brows, not following Anakin’s reasoning.

“How is that relevant? Count Dooku is a Sith. He must have gotten the poison recipe from his family, there’s no other way to explain it.” Despite Savi’s explanation, Anakin still looked unconvinced.

“From what I know, Count Dooku wasn’t always a Sith. He used to be a Jedi and was Master Yoda’s padawan.” Anakin elaborated, instantly deflating Savi’s enthusiasm. “He could have stumbled upon it in records or something?”

“No,” Savi dismissed, shaking their head, enthusiasm still gone despite Anakin’s efforts. “The recipe for Hira poison has never been written down. The only way I know about it is because of my family’s stories. My ancestors heard rumours because people will talk, regardless of how secretive something is. If the Sith who created it had their way, nobody would have even known it existed.”

Now this stumped them both yet again. With the knowledge that Count Dooku did not come from a line of Sith lords, alongside the completely incredible levels of secrecy regarding the poison, it was virtually impossible for him to have acquired it. Which then left one more possible option.

“He got it from someone else,” Savi confirmed aloud for the two of them. Anakin looked at them gravely, and they noted how he seemed to be trying to think of an answer. 

“Who?” Anakin asked, meeting Savi’s eyes yet again. And the enbie knew for a fact that the uneasiness of what their answer would be couldn’t be so quickly dispelled. Savi and Anakin both knew very well that this mystery would likely not be solved so easily. And whoever supplied the Militia men or Count Dooku with the poison was not someone who wanted to be discovered, let alone found.

“I don’t know.” 

It had been about 3 days since Alier had been arrested and kept in prison. He refused to budge on anything, and quite frankly, Obi-Wan knew the situation was starting to become dire. It was why they were back at Alier’s house, hoping to find something they missed. 

One thing that was definitely evident was the fact that Alier’s location was not exactly the most economically stable. The fact that Obi-Wan missed this before was rather foolish. But wandering the streets of this neighbourhood revealed just how downright horrible the conditions were out here – streets riddled with wayward rubbish and scrap metal, people dressed in rags and thin as toothpicks. The group even passed by some suspicious looking males, and Obi-Wan could sense weapons on them. 

It was a slum.

The house’s interior looked just the same as they had left it. Nobody had really been through it since, and quite frankly, Obi-Wan was beginning to doubt that they’d even find anything there. Alier’s lab had been seized by the police and a thorough search of his personal devices yielded no further leads.

In an attempt to distract himself from the fear of them being unable to solve this case, Obi-Wan regarded his former Padawan and the Force sensitive assisting them with curiosity. He was especially interested in Savi Han – a person who turned up by sheer happenstance and had helped them with their investigation rather easily. 

Perhaps a bit too easily. 

Whenever Mx Han talked about themselves, they were extremely vague and said only as much as needed to be said. They seemed to have an uneasy at best and hostile at worst relationship with the Jedi, and this gave Obi-Wan pause as he considered the implications. 

Was it possible that Mx Han was–?

“Oh, by the Force, gimme that!” 

Savi’s playful shouting broke Obi-Wan’s trail of thought as he looked back at his fellow Jedi Knight and the stranger. Mx Han was currently attempting to grab a holopad that Anakin was holding above his head, easily out of Savi’s reach. Anakin laughed as the two seemed to be taking a moment to have fun rather than just sulk about their potential predicament. 

Obi-Wan suddenly felt rather foolish. Here he was getting paranoid about a person who thus far had not shown any intent to harm either himself nor Anakin and was now currently behaving like a youngling. Seeing just how ridiculous yet strangely innocent they looked gave him pause. But what really sold it was Anakin’s behaviour.

It was difficult for Anakin to open up to others. Many times over the years Obi-Wan would try and get Anakin to speak with fellow Padawans, only for Anakin to not have too much in common with them and be significantly more advanced than them. Obi-Wan knew that Anakin often felt alone, and he did his best to comfort his student regardless. He didn’t know how well he succeeded, but Obi-Wan tried. And even to this day, it seemed the only people Anakin was truly close to were Obi-Wan, Chancellor Palpatine, Padme Amidala, and Ahsoka Tano. Most of which Anakin either rarely saw, or still couldn’t be completely open with. This was also partially due to the Jedi Code preventing attachments.

And yet here was Anakin with Savi, acting like younglings playing keep away. 

It was then that the two seemed to notice Obi-Wan staring at them and were quick to hide their shenanigans. Obi-Wan pretended not to notice as Anakin and Mx Han went back to searching. The Jedi Master spotted the Force sensitive picking up a photo from off the floor and pocketing it. He didn’t question it.

But a part of Obi-Wan still wondered and suspected that Mx Han was perhaps more dangerous than they appeared, but he knew that he would be open to being proved wrong. He also hoped that Anakin would not become too attached or fond of Mx Han. He sighed, feeling like Anakin’s master all over again.

“Hours of searching, and we don’t have anything new!” Anakin groaned.

Savi sat across from Anakin, eating lunch, wondering what they were going to do now that they had thoroughly searched Alier’s home, only to find nothing new. It gave Savi genuine pause as they tried to think of any solution to their current predicament. 

It had been a week since Alier’s arrest, and they were no closer to getting any new leads. All they had was the fact that Alier was making Hira poison and that he raided a train, but nothing regarding any other base locations of the Militia. And quite frankly, time was running out. While Savi didn’t much care for the wellbeing of royalty, they did care about them to the extent that they could get off the planet easier if they helped the Jedi keep them alive. But while the royals may have been safe for now, who knew how long that would last?

But why?

Savi seriously started to wonder why the Militia wanted the royals dead. And the answers were usually, to some degree, justifiable. Nobody wants their government dead unless their government did something that they found objectionable. And seeing how bad the poverty and crime was in Alier’s area, that was certainly a probable cause for anger. But there were plenty of planets with poverty and nobody rebelled, so why did people on Olion?

“You look like you’re deep in thought,” Anakin commented, the frustration gone only to be replaced by a more light-hearted tone. Savi sighed thoughtfully.

“Why would someone like Alier try to help kill the royal family?” They asked. Anakin paused at that, wondering himself now that Savi brought up the topic. Savi watched him think before he looked at them, obviously lacking the answer.

“I don’t know,” he replied. Savi exhaled, a tad frustrated. 

“Usually there is a reason. I’d kill to know what it is though…” Savi said. Anakin raised his arms up in mock surrender as he grinned.

“Hey, no need for that!” Anakin teased. Savi rolled their eyes, light-hearted. His expression then turned more serious. “That is great and all, but we need to take these guys down. They are a threat to innocent lives here, and, as Obi-Wan would say, a broader threat to the Republic. 

“Sheesh,” Savi groaned. “Keep me away from him, lest I start shaking him free of his brainwash!” 

“You said it, not me.” Anakin joked, allowing a hint of rebelliousness to leak out. “Though seriously, Alier won’t crack. We need to come up with something…”

Savi paused as they thought about how they could possibly get Alier to talk. Sure, there were plenty of ways to make someone talk. And Sith had many methods of doing so, but none of them were ethical or painless. But at this rate, what could they do? If they didn’t act fast, who knew what could happen. They had an idea, but it wasn’t one they were fond of. Their face contorted in an uneasy frown.

“I may have an idea, but… it would need to be done in secret.” Savi said. Anakin blinked in confusion before realisation dawned on him.

“Is this to do with…?” Anakin asked, trailing off as Savi nodded quickly, cutting Anakin off. The Jedi nodded once. “Got it.”

“It’s… a technique. And not one that unaware parties should be privy to.” Savi explained. Though they held back information, the grim expression on their face spoke volumes. “This could be dangerous. It could even cause permanent brain damage…”

“You know a way to crack this guy, and you’re worried about his brain?” Anakin asked, slightly incredulously. “He’s a criminal, Savi. Serves him right.”

“Anakin, it’s…” Savi began, but stopped themselves, seeing the disdain on Anakin’s face. And Savi could put the pieces together regarding why Anakin had such a distaste for organised crime rather quickly. They did not need to preach morals to someone who had been through the worst organised crime could offer. They shook their head instead. “You’re right. But I will still need to do this without any eyes on me. Think you could get me an audience?”

At that, Anakin smiled.

“Easily.”

“You know the Jedi have tried everything right? What the Hel makes you think I’d talk to you?” Alier asked, cocky and sure of himself. Savi levelled him with narrowed eyes, not falling into his nonsense. 

Anakin had managed to successfully get Savi into the room without anyone knowing. Though, what he hadn’t told Savi at the time was that it involved a lot of sneaking around. Savi was rather practised at this, but they wished they knew ahead of time- rather than Anakin neglecting to tell them the full extent of the plan until right at the last moment. 

“For one, I’m not like the Jedi,” Savi illuminated, as a small smile crept up on their face. “I’m something… worse. Or… better. Depending on your perception, of course.”

Alier narrowed his eyes, his confident demeanour dropping slightly as he sat up slightly straighter. “Well? Don’t leave me hanging…” 

Savi raised their hand up to face Alier, and with a slight tug on the Force, began to prod at the Olionian’s mind. The male clearly felt it as he rubbed his temple, and Savi knew he was starting to develop a headache, which would soon turn into the most painful migraine one could ever experience. Alier grabbed at his head, crying out in pain as he finally seemed to register just what was happening. His widened eyes stared at Savi in horror as the pain only increased. And Savi dug harder. 

They rifled through his memories, the most recent ones – what he had for breakfast in his cell, the mediocre sleep he got, though it wasn’t the worst place he had ever slept in. But these were simple memories. For what Savi needed, they’d need to go deeper. Much deeper. 

Savi was well aware of the kind of pain they’d be putting Alier through. What exactly this Force technique did to the psyche of a person. It was ugly. But what choice did they have? Nothing else could get the man to talk, right? They needed this information if they wanted to get off of the planet.

But no matter how easy or quick Savi knew it could be, their mind kept returning to that photograph of Alier and the young girl. 

Just as Alier was on the verge of tears, Savi drew away, slowly as to make sure not to rip any memories out. As Alier’s pain decreased, his panicked stare met Savi’s as he seemed to know what could have almost happened. Savi gave him an apologetic look as they sighed, to which Alier was bewildered. 

“No matter how easy it would be, I can’t. I can’t get the information out of you. So instead,” Savi explained as they reached into their pocket and pulled out the photograph, and placed it gently on the table. Alier’s eyes widened in shock. “Can you tell me who this girl is?”

Alier’s stare focused on the photograph, but due to his restraints, he could not move to pick it up. Savi knew just how rare such an object was, as physical objects that retained information were scarce. And yet, the Olionians seemed to rather enjoy the more analogue forms of photography and other such trinkets. To Savi, the photo held immense value. But to Alier, it wasn’t so much the strange material that the photograph was made out of, but rather the contents of it. 

“That’s… that’s Aimle. She’s my younger sister…” Alier expressed, breathlessly as he didn’t dare look away, in fear of the photograph being a figment of his imagination. “She’s… she’s been imprisoned.”

“What for?” Savi asked, finding the idea of someone so young being in a prison to be a rather concerning thing. However, they did not have to wait long for an answer as Alier’s features sharpened into a glare.

“Because the former king thought us Derdu to be conspiring against the crown. He had many of us imprisoned, including my little sister who had done nothing but ask in her classroom why Derdu were so hated by others.” Alier’s voice was bitter, and filled with years of hatred and anger. His features softened as his eyes watered. “I haven’t been allowed to visit her. I haven’t seen her in 5 years.”

Savi’s eyes widened in silent horror as they realised what was going on. Alier spoke no lies, his story was true. The emotions were raw and honest. But even though Alier’s hatred ran deep, the love for his sister and the desire to see her again ran deeper. And Savi realised at that moment why he was fighting against the monarchy. 

“You aren’t fighting the monarchy for power or status.” Savi vocalised their realisations, and Alier looked back up at them surprised, as if having heard a non-Derdu be sympathetic to his cause for the first time. “You’re fighting against a monarchy that wrongfully imprisoned your sister.”

“Yes,” Alier replied, recovering from his surprise quickly. His expression turned stern. “And your Jedi buddies arrested me. How about that?”

“I know,” Savi agreed, feeling ashamed of themselves, knowing that they almost wiped his memories of his clearly deeply loved sister. The idea that they had nearly taken the memory of a loved one away was… crushing, to say the least. Thankfully, that present did not occur. Savi felt themselves leaning forward, knowing that even though they were fairly certain that Alier spoke the truth, they’d need to convince the others of such a conviction. 

Their next move would be one that could be risky, but they also knew that perhaps this would be the best way of both securing Savi’s escape and potentially helping the population of this planet. “Alier?”

“Yeah?”

“If I could get your sister out of prison, would you consider helping us?” Savi asked. At first Alier looked stunned, before his expression quickly soured, and he was guarded yet again. 

“You couldn’t get my sister outta prison just by yourself. For that you’d need the Royal’s approval. And those fuckers don’t give a shit about us.” Alier scoffed, not believing for a moment that Savi would succeed. However, little did Alier know that Savi rather liked a challenge. Though at the moment, they’d need to gather more intel before they could properly promise Alier anything.

“Can you tell me more about this planet’s politics? From your point of view?” Savi asked. Alier was definitely caught off guard by the request, but Savi hoped that their sincerity translated into their tone. Within the minute, Alier exhaled with a cynical laugh. 

“Well, for starters, the Royal Family? Like I said, no shits given about Derdu. Sadee themselves could laugh at our deaths.” Alier explained, however at Savi’s puzzled expression, he sighed. “I’m going to assume a Human such as yourself has no idea about the caste system here. Sadee are the top guns, the ones who have power and status. Loitha are most people on Olion, and they maintain a level of power amongst each other. Derdu? We’re the scum of the earth, according to those prissy fucks. Loitha like to portray their sympathy for us as something that is common among them, but most Loitha would kick us into a vat of poison if it meant saving their own asses.”

As Alier explained, Savi listened carefully, eager to absorb as much information as they could. So far, they could not sense any deception in his words, but there are those who are smart enough not to show their true intentions to even a Force user. But this was all important knowledge. And knowledge was power. With a satisfied nod and a grateful smile, Savi stood up. 

“Thank you, Alier. I’ll see what I can do.” They reassured. Alier rolled his eyes, clearly not believing them. Though as the photograph floated up towards him and slid into his pocket, his expression softened slightly. Though Savi knew he didn’t entirely trust them.

“Sure, human, sure.”

“So let me get this straight–” Obi-Wan expressed, staring at Savi and Anakin with disappointment and mild annoyance. “The two of you went behind the authorities’ backs, and sneaked into Alier’s cell in order to interrogate him? What in the name of the Jedi were you two thinking?!”

Savi rolled their eyes, clearly not caring for the Jedi Master to be lecturing them on their methods of interrogation, especially since their methods got them results. After finishing their interaction with Alier, they met up with Anakin and Obi-Wan back on the Jedi’s ship. And the Jedi Master was clearly unimpressed. Anakin, however, was not so silent. 

“Aw, c’mon, Master! Savi saved us a lot of time. And got us good info.” Anakin argued, to which Savi had to refrain from smiling, knowing that Anakin did not yet know what exactly they had learned. Obi-Wan sighed.

“Fine, what did you learn?” He relented, turning to Savi, who shrugged and looked at him rather dismissively. 

“Nothing much,” they replied. Obi-Wan clearly did not catch onto their dry tone as he stared at them with a hard gaze. Savi could feel Obi-Wan prodding at their mind, hoping to discover something. However, Savi’s guards were too well established for even a Jedi Master to just barge in on. Unlike Jedi, their guards consisted of raw emotion. And as Obi-Wan pulled away rather quickly, a cocky smile spread across the Sith’s face. Jedi, in all of their failed wisdom, were so predictable in what they couldn’t push through. 

“I’m fucking with you,” Savi admitted, their smile widening when Obi-Wan bristled. It wasn’t obvious nor visible, but Savi could feel the Master’s irritation rise. “Alier told me that the reason why he’s after the monarchy isn’t because of some power grab, but because his caste has been facing discrimination for years now. His own sister’s been imprisoned for just questioning why Derdus were hated.”

Obi-Wan narrowed his eyes, but didn’t really reveal much else expression wise. Internally, his emotions were quietly pacified as he quickly deduced that Savi wasn’t lying, despite their tone baiting him to argue with them. Savi was a tad disappointed by this, but then again, they knew that arguing wouldn’t solve the problem at hand. No matter how hard he tried to search, Savi’s words could not be denied, and he knew it. 

“Which brings me to my next point,” Savi continued. “I asked Alier if he would consider joining us in exchange for us freeing his sister.”

“You offered what?” Obi-Wan demanded, clearly not taking well to this. “I don’t know if you think you are clever, but that is an offer we simply cannot fulfil!” 

“And why not?” Savi questioned, which didn’t seem to stun Obi-Wan as much as it irritated him. “Why the fuck shouldn’t we free an innocent girl from her prison? As a matter of fact, you’re a fucking Jedi! Why aren’t you more open to liberating a whole group of oppressed people?!”

“Because we are here diplomatically. We are not here to fix this planet’s issues, and until today I had heard nothing of such talk about caste systems or wrongful imprisonment. And furthermore, how do you know we can even trust him?” Obi-Wan argued. Savi felt their anger creeping up on them, and their anger was targeted at the Jedi Master before them, at the Jedi Council’s hypocrisy, and at the Republic in general.

“Oh, bullshit!” Savi yelled, their Force signature bursting out like electricity, yet nothing happened. Though only those attuned to the Force could feel it. “You saw what Alier’s home town looked like! Do you think a thriving and happy people live there, Master Jedi ? Do you think the only reason you haven’t heard talk is that the Loitha and Sadee you’ve been interacting with are privileged cunts who have never had to deal with a day of hardship in their lives?”

Obi-Wan was about to retort, but Savi beat him to it, their eyes flaring with rage as their Force energy twitched and was surrounding the trio, ready to pounce at any moment. Though they restrained themselves.

“Save your breath. If you aren’t going to help me, then I guess I’ll do this myself.” Savi finished, calming down as they did their best to emotionally regulate. They walked away from Obi-Wan, and Anakin quickly followed. As soon as the two were out of earshot, Anakin walked beside Savi with concern.

“I thought you were going to kill him,” Anakin half joked. 

“Tempted to, but no, I’m not like that,” Savi said with a more light-hearted air to their tone, giving Anakin a knowing look. The Jedi Knight smiled, before his expression turned serious.

“Though, as much as I hate to admit it, Obi-Wan’s right. Unfortunately, the Jedi aren’t here to liberate an oppressed group of people. We’re here diplomatically to protect the royals.” Anakin admitted. Savi sighed in disapproval, knowing that it couldn’t be helped. The two quickly reached the exit of their ship, and Savi unceremoniously sat down on the ground, pouting. Anakin joined them.

“It’s just…” Savi tried before they groaned and leaned forward, planting their forehead into their knees. Anakin waited to hear what they had to say. “I think your friend’s a real dickhead.”

“Pfft!” Anakin burst out laughing, having not expected Savi’s declaration. The Jedi Knight recovered and smiled, deeply amused. “I mean… not disagreeing or agreeing. But Obi-Wan’s got a good heart, I promise. I know he can be a bit of a stickler for the rules, but he isn’t without compassion.”

“Really?” Savi asked dryly, the disbelief on their face obvious. 

“Definitely,” Anakin stated. “He does care. But I think he likes to look at the greater picture, and he wants to keep the Republic intact. The war with the Separatists hasn’t been easy, and it’s only been a few months.”

“I guess I can understand that…” Savi begrudgingly admitted. Even though they personally didn’t give a Kriff about the Republic, they knew that two Jedi did. And if Anakin still spoke highly of his former master, then that must mean something. However, the issue remained. “What are we going to do about Alier though?”

“I believe I may have an answer to that,” Obi-Wan’s voice surprised Savi out of their stupor. The Jedi Master leaned against the threshold of the entrance to the ship. When Savi’s gaze met his, he looked at them apologetically. “It was wrong of me to dismiss Alier’s and by extension, the Derdu’s plight. I apologise. And I think I know how we can help.”

“Well, don’t hold out on us!” Anakin insisted. But while Anakin was enthused, Savi was stunned by Obi-Wan’s words. They hadn’t expected that of him, but they were pleasantly surprised. Shooting a look at Anakin, they thought that perhaps Anakin wasn’t so off the mark about Obi-Wan as they thought.

“While we may be on a diplomatic mission to protect the Royals, it does not mean we cannot speak to the Royals. I did some research before we came here, and I learned that the current head of state is a young Olionian named Despoina. She recently became queen, but it was a rather shaky exchange of power, from what I’ve heard. I don’t know much more than that, but I’m sure we can learn more. It also helps that we have a contact who can assist us with speaking to the current queen.” Obi-Wan explained, with a slight hint of mischief to his voice. This further surprised Savi as they had not in any way expected Obi-Wan to work around loopholes as he had. Much like his apology, it was definitely a pleasant surprise. 

“Who’s your contact?” Savi asked, speaking up for the first time with a neutral yet not unfriendly tone of voice. Obi-Wan gave Anakin a knowing look, to which Anakin smiled in return. Savi looked between the two men, feeling like they’d have their answer soon enough.

Chapter Text

“Would you both like anything to eat or drink?” Amalee asked, as Obi-Wan and Savi stood in the living room of her home. 

When Obi-Wan had asked Savi to come with him to meet up with his contact, they hadn’t expected the female. They were also equally surprised that Obi-Wan had even asked them to come with him to begin with. They had assumed he’d ask Anakin over them anyday. They didn’t ask about it, even though their curiosity burned within.

“No, but thank you,” Obi-Wan replied.

“Yeah, same here, thanks though,” Savi added, feeling slightly awkward as they had no idea who this person even was, so it felt awkward for them to ask anything of her.

“Well, if either of you change your mind, let me know please. Now,” Amalee encouraged, before getting down to brass tax. “What can I do for you?”

“You’ve told me before that you work as an informant for the Royal family, correct?” Obi-Wan asked. Amalee nodded. “We would actually very much like to meet the current head of state, if they will see us.”

“Well,” Amalee started, with a teasing smile. “That is certainly possible, especially considering the person standing beside you is the one who saved us all on the train. The queen will want to meet you.”

Savi blushed, awkwardly rubbing their arm as they avoided eye contact. “Yeah, sorry about the scare…” 

“Nonsense! You were brilliant!” Amalee exclaimed as a child came rushing in, and his eyes widened in awe when he saw who was standing in the living room. 

“You’re the Jedi who saved us!” The child blurted out. Savi felt even more awkward as the child smiled widely. “Wow!! You were so cool!!! I can’t believe you’re here! I’m Leeam, by the way!”

“I… Thank you,” Savi replied, sincerely. Obi-Wan’s eyes were on them, which made them even more sheepish. They didn’t need to have the Jedi see them get all flustered about being praised.

“So, yes,” Amalee diverted the conversation back on topic. “I would love to help you meet the new queen. I will go and send a request right away and let you know what my superiors say.”

“Excellent!” Obi-Wan replied, with a grateful smile. “We really do appreciate your haste, as this is very important.”

“I do not have any other reason to believe otherwise,” Amalee said with a smile before she stepped out of the room. The child, Leeam, continued to speak to the two Force sensitives. 

“Did you train on Coruscant, at the Jedi Temple?? What was that like? Can I become a Jedi, too??” Leeam asked, excitement oozing from his Force signature. Savi was stumped on the questions, as they weren’t even a Jedi. Thankfully, Obi-Wan was there to save them.

“Mx. Han has not, but I have. It’s a very rigorous and long process to become a Jedi Knight, and no, you cannot become a Jedi, young one. Jedi find Force sensitive children when they are very young, and then they take them to the Temple. You are simply too old and probably aren’t Force sensitive, otherwise you would have been taken. Besides, I do believe your mother would be very sad to see you go if we had taken you.” Obi-Wan explained, being both honest and kind. Savi couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah, you’re right, sir. Mama would be very sad, and I would too.” Leeam replied, sounding disappointed yet also understanding. Obi-Wan smiled at him reassuringly.

“Then you are smarter than most of your peers,” he said, as if it were a secret the child shouldn’t share with anybody. Leeam’s eyes lit up as he nodded.

“Thank you, Master Jedi!” Leeam replied, before looking up at Savi, who gave the kid a smile. He hugged their leg tightly before running off. Savi blinked in surprise as they watched the child run off. Obi-Wan chuckled, only to be met by Savy’s disapproving eyes.

“What’s so funny?” They asked. 

“You are amazing with children,” Obi-Wan teased, to which Savi became even more flustered. They stuttered, trying to form a response as the Jedi Master smiled victoriously. 

“I am great with kids! I just, I don’t spend too much time around them!” They finally managed, and Obi-Wan patted them on the shoulder.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell Anakin how much children intimidate you,” he continued to tease. Savi’s face turned even redder as they groaned in annoyance, earning a laugh from the Jedi. And, as much as Savi hated to admit it, his laughter did make them smile.

The walk back to the Jedi’s ship was pleasant, as the rain came down in a drizzle rather than a pour. Amalee had returned soon after Obi-Wan had finished teasing Mx. Han. She had informed the two that the queen agreed to meet them the next day, which definitely surprised the Jedi. However, Mx. Han looked more than pleased with this. Amalee sent the two on their way with a few baked goods she had made earlier that day. 

Obi-Wan kept shooting glances at the person beside him. Mx. Han was too busy snacking on some of the cookies to notice, which was good for him. He just wanted to observe the Force sensitive beside him in peace. He didn’t know why he had decided to tease them earlier, but it seemed to do their relationship some good as Mx. Han was more relaxed around him.

Mx. Han had definitely infuriated Obi-Wan earlier that day, with them (alongside Anakin) sneaking around behind his back and making deals with criminals. But he had to admit that the initiative displayed by them was admirable, and the intel they got from Alier wasn’t useless. As much as Obi-Wan hated to admit it, Savi sticking up for Alier and his imprisoned sister was the right call. Savi may not have been a Jedi, but their moral code was strong. He could respect that. It also definitely helped ease his lingering anxiety about whether Mx. Han was a Sith or not. A Sith would not care so much about an oppressed group of people, that much Obi-Wan knew for sure. 

“You’re staring,” Mx. Han commented nonchalantly, not even looking up at him. Obi-Wan froze as he realised that yes, he had been staring at Mx. Han by that point. However, they didn’t seem to care as they grinned. “See anything you like?”

“Ah, well,” Obi-Wan replied, trying to steel his nerves and avoid showing how much Mx. Han’s flirting got to him. While he typically wasn’t one to easily get embarrassed about such things, for some reason, their flirting caught him off guard. Obi-Wan was a trained Jedi Master, and could mask his emotions very well, but Mx. Han was better at reading him for some reason.

“It’s okay,” they replied, with a relaxed smile. “I know you weren’t looking at me for that reason.”

“You would be correct,” Obi-Wan replied, neutrally. Mx. Han looked disgruntled, but they did not actually take offence.

“Ow, I can’t be that ugly,” they said, before chuckling under their breath. Obi-Wan couldn’t believe how strange they were, but it was endearing. It was also nice to see them becoming more comfortable with him. If they were flirting with him, even in a light-hearted manner, that clearly displayed some level of comfort.

“I did not say you were ugly,” Obi-Wan corrected, turning the tide on them. Mx. Han glanced up at him, not expecting that, before they smiled and looked away.

“Thanks,” they replied, sincerely. 

“For?” He pried, wanting to know why they were thanking him.

“For not calling me ugly, dingus!” They laughed, mock punching his arm. Obi-Wan chuckled at their mannerisms, though he did not expect them to touch him at all. 

“That is fair,” he said. The two resumed their silent walk as Mx. Han offered him a cookie, which he hesitated in taking before deciding to do so. It was rather tasty too. 

“You said you grew up on Coruscant, right?” Mx. Han asked, their tone more curious than their previous light-hearted one. Obi-Wan nodded, curious to see where this went. “What was that like? I mean, growing up around so many like-minded people with the same abilities as you, that had to be… good, right?”

Obi-Wan had forgotten that Mx. Han did not grow up among Force users as he did. And a part of him felt sad for them, because while he got to experience comfort and unity among the Jedi, Mx. Han had no such privileges. He recalled how they spoke about living on their ship, having no real planet to call home, and seemingly being on their own for a very long time. They spoke of a father who trained them, but where that father was now was a mystery to Obi-Wan. He also couldn’t help but wonder what kind of experiences Mx. Han had with the Jedi to get them to distrust the Order so clearly. What was obvious to the Jedi Master was that Mx. Han was probably very alone in the galaxy, and that didn’t bode well with him.

“Yes, it is good,” Obi-Wan began, remembering the question Mx. Han had asked in the first place. “I’ve lived there since I was 2 or 3, and before that I don’t have any memories of my parents or my life before the Jedi Order. I was well cared for, and made many friends and allies within the Order. I am happy that I am a Jedi, and it is a great honour for me.”

“Well, that’s good at least,” Mx. Han’s voice was darker, and colder now. Obi-Wan could sense some kind of emotional turmoil within them, but he couldn’t get beyond their mental guards to see exactly what they felt. It was irritating how difficult it was to parse through their emotions, but perhaps this was for the best. Mx. Han clearly did not need someone they barely knew trying to pick them apart. What he could guess was that because of their distrust of the Jedi Order, Mx. Han was probably trying to reconcile their experiences versus his own. 

“I am sorry that the Jedi Order has affected you this clearly,” Obi-Wan apologised, only for Mx. Han’s Force signature to practically vanish as their emotions were locked away tightly. They waved him off with a smile that felt strained.

“You didn’t do anything to me, so no need to apologise,” Mx. Han replied. Obi-Wan wanted to argue that even though he hadn’t done anything to them personally that it didn’t make it okay for anybody else to do the same, but he decided against it. Mx. Han definitely did not want to talk about this any more, so out of respect, he decided to drop it.

“Of course,” he replied as the remainder of the walk was spent in silence.

To say that the Royal Palace was beautiful would have been an understatement. The main reception area had tall ceilings, with banners of the Olionian kingdom hanging on the walls. There was massive stained glass windows with images depicting battles or even significant moments in their history. It seemed as though the Olionians had much pride for their history and culture, Savi noted.

Too bad that culture was built on oppression.

This display of wealth and privilege showed this negligence. A sovereign was meant to protect and serve their people, not to take from them. Not to hurt them. Savi’s eyes narrowed at one particular image of a Derdu kneeling before a Sadee with reverence and awe at the Sadee’s power and grace. The Derdu was in chains and looked happy. The image disgusted the Sith.

“You don’t look particularly happy,” Anakin commented. Savi glanced next to them, where the Jedi Knight had leaned over to speak quietly to them. Anakin, Obi-Wan, and Savi had gone to meet with the queen, and they were told to wait. In that time, Savi’s disapproving disposition had become abundantly clear.

“I don’t know how much we’ll actually be able to reason with a monarch who allows her people to be treated like this,” Savi said, gesturing to the windows. Anakin grimaced.

“I’m not sure either, but we gotta try,” the Jedi replied, trying to sound optimistic. Savi raised a brow at him, and Anakin shrugged.

The doors to the reception room opened, and a few guards came out, followed by the recently crowned queen. Obi-Wan and Anakin bowed, and Savi half-bowed, meeting the queen’s eyes. However, to their surprise, she looked… sheepish-flustered-unsure . Those emotions raced through the queen as she approached the trio. This left Savi confused. Why would the queen be so nervous?

They pried a bit further, and then she met their gaze with awe, as if she recognised what was happening.

“So Amalee was right! You are the Jedi Knights,” The Queen exclaimed, with a bright smile on her face. Obi-Wan and Anakin traded looks, before looking over at Savi, who smiled guilty. The Queen then tensed and straightened up, coughing into her hand as if to start over. “Apologies, that was very unlady-like of me. Please forgive my rudeness.”

The sudden turn around surprised the Humans, but Obi-Wan was the fastest to recover. “Not at all, your majesty. But you are correct, we are the Jedi Knights your servant told us about. I am General Obi-Wan Kenobi, and they are General Anakin Skywalker and Savi Han.”

“Lovely to meet you all. I am Queen Desponia of Olion. Thank you for your arrival. I have been eager to meet the Jedi who saved my people from the militia’s attacks,” the Queen stated. Savi raised a brow’, but kept their mouth shut for the moment. They wanted answers just as badly as Anakin and Obi-Wan did.

“Ah, well, you’d be looking at the wrong Jedi, your majesty. That honour belongs to them,” Anakin stated, looking over at Savi with a grin. Savi instantly straightened up and shot a small glare at Anakin. His smile widened. “They’re the one you should thank.”

“Mx. Han,” the queen began, approaching Savi. The enbie was sceptical until the queen bowed forward, her eyes to the floor. “Please accept my most humble thank yous. I know it is what you do, but I am thankful nonetheless. All of my people are very important to me.”

Savi was stunned. The current sovereign of this planet whose family was in charge of a brutal caste system was thanking them for saving people from lower castes? They didn’t know how to respond as the queen remained bowed. The staff around her were equally shocked, mostly by her actions and words. This was clearly not some ordinary Olionian queen. Savi could sense sincereness-graditude-warmth within the queen. It was directed at them and of the people she spoke so fondly of.

“Of course, your highness,” Savi stated, reaching out to touch the queen’s hands gently to lift her up. The queen’s honest smile met them and Savi was still left surprised. 

“You seem to be surprised by my gratitude. Are most royals so dismissive of potential lives lost?” She asked, though her tone was gentle. All three Humans were stunned by her boldness and honesty. But Savi recovered quickly and found themselves thinking ‘I think I’m gonna like her.’

“Usually,” Savi replied, to Obi-Wan’s horror and Anakin’s amusement. The queen only shook her head in disapproval.

“That is truly a shame,” she spoke. There was a moment of silence as the queen seemed to be in thought before one of her maidservants gestured something to her, and she perked up in realisation. “Would you all like to come and sit? Could we get you something to eat or drink?”

“That would be most appreciative, as we have other news to discuss with you as well. I am sure Lady Amalee has made you aware of this?” Obi-Wan asked, getting right back down to business and seemingly ignoring the queen’s strange behaviour. The queen nodded.

“Follow me,” she stated.

The queen led them to a separate room with a large table, which could sit 12 people. Fruits and drinks were quickly brought in as everyone took their seats. Some of the maidservants tried to offer something, only for the queen to dismiss them with a thankful smile. Savi had never seen anything like this, and they had met people who thought of themselves as royalty before. They were most eager to know more about this person.

“Thank you,” the queen began, “The rest of you are dismissed from your posts for the next hour.”

This declaration surprised some of the servants and guards, but they all soon heeded their queen’s words. Savi watched as they all left the room, with the exception of two of her maidservants. Even Obi-Wan showed some surprise at that.

“I wanted to speak to you all in private, as the information you wish to discuss seems to be of the important variety.” The queen stated, clarifying. “I am given the understanding that you are aware of the situation here on Olion?”

“Yes,” Obi-Wan confirmed. “We have been made aware of attempts on your life, including the lives of your court.”

“That is certainly one of the concerns, but not one which is important to me now.” The queen stated, firmly yet without dismissing Obi-Wan’s own words. “My concern is with my people. I know they are unharmed for the moment, but I wish to know more about the people who attacked them as they are also my people.”

“That is very honourable, your majesty,” Anakin commented, yet with definite sincerity. The queen shook her head.

“It is the least I can do, and please, call me Despoina. I will accept the title of queen when I feel I have done my duty as one.” She explained.

“The least you can do? It sounds like you are trying to make some kind of amends?” Savi prodded, too curious to resist. Obi-Wan shot them a look, but the queen did not seem upset by the question.

“Yes, I am,” she said. This drew Obi-Wan’s attention back to her, as Savi could sense surprise from him as well. All three Humans were equally curious to hear what the queen had to say. “In truth, my father was a cruel man and a crueller king. He had no regard for anyone, but especially Derdu. I was thankful to have never known his wrath, but my mother had. I never grew up with him nor did I have knowledge I was of royal descent until a few months ago.”

This revelation seemed to stun the Jedi and Sith as Savi could feel that she was telling the truth. The wheels were beginning to turn in their head. Perhaps they did stand a chance at helping Alier and his sister?

“Pardon me, your high– sorry, Despoina, but how did you get to be in this position?” Anakin asked, leaning forward curiously.

“A few months ago, I received a letter from my father. 25 years late, I suppose, but regardless, he explained how I was to meet him within the day. I arrived at the palace and met a dying king. He explained who he was and who I am, before he declared me his heir due to being older than his two sons.” Despoina explained, and Savi could detect a flicker of anger and disdain in her. “It was not a popular decision among the court.”

“I wonder what led your father to crown you queen? Surely he must have known that would have been controversial?” Obi-Wan speculated. Despoina looked at the table intently, as if she didn’t know herself why.

“I do not like to speculate on it. I have been given a massive opportunity for large scale change, and large scale change is what I intend to bring. I am afraid that at the moment, the court has me tied up to some degree. I cannot enact any policy change unless they themselves approve of it. They claim it is because I am a new queen, but I know it is because they look poorly on my mother’s Derdu blood.” Despoina admitted, and was genuinely distraught by this. One of her maidservants leaned forward and whispered something to her, which Despoina nodded at and calmed herself. Savi, however, was certainly intrigued and disgusted. Of course a king like Despoina’s father would assault a Derdu woman and want to hurriedly right this one specific wrong. But Savi knew enough about social decorum not to ask about it right now.

“Now, enough about me, what did you come to discuss?” The queen said, calmer than before.

Savi and Anakin traded looks before glancing over at Obi-Wan, who mentally suggested that they take the lead there. Savi took the reins. “Despoina, we have captured one of the militia men. His name is Alier.”

“Tell me about him, you seemed troubled by him,” Despoina encouraged. Savi nodded as they proceeded to explain all that had happened, minus them being a Sith, of course. They told her how they had found Alier, captured him, and then discovered the reason for why he was fighting against the government. At the mention of Alier’s sister, Savi felt a pang of worry and sadness from the queen. When Savi was done with their explanation, Despoina hesitated as she looked down.

“I want to meet him.” The queen decided. Savi spotted Anakin and Obi-Wan straighten at the request and both of them were nervous. The enbie smiled, looking back at Despoina.

“I think you should,” they replied.

“Is my queen certain?” One of the maidservants asked, her voice soft and barely perceptible, as if she were meant to be a whisper. Despoina nodded, with hesitation. “It will be difficult to arrange a meeting with a Derdu, with all due respect.”

“I’m sure we could make it happen,” Anakin perked up with a cheeky grin. It seemed he had recovered from his earlier nervousness. Obi-Wan, on the other hand, still maintained his disposition.

“I do not believe it is wise, but if you insist on it, your highness, it will be done.” He said, his tone conveying his certainty, but Savi knew better. He really didn’t like this idea. Thankfully, it seemed as though the queen was someone who didn’t care.

“Yes, I wish to meet Alier. I want to hear his story.” Despoina confirmed. Savi found themselves grinning despite themselves. They definitely liked this queen.

Chapter Text

Getting Queen Despoina to meet Alier was a bit complicated, but it wasn’t impossible. It had to be done under the cover of night, as the court would seldom approve of such a decision for their queen to meet a Derdu. But with some finesse and stealth, they managed to get Despoina to Rottegard. When she had appeared in the police station, everyone was stunned but quickly bowed in respect. The sight of big and buff Olionians fumbling and scrambling to show respect to their slight framed monarch was hilarious, in Savi’s opinion.

They escorted her to the cell where Alier was being held, and Despoina wanted to go in alone. The Derdu was cuffed, of course, but Obi-Wan and the Captain protested. It was when she insisted that the two men let up. She went in alone, leaving the Humans to wait outside.

It gave Savi a moment to contemplate all that had happened to them since arriving on the planet. The very reason they went there was for something else entirely, an… item which they acquired, but then ended up helping two Jedi with tracking down a militia man and then ending up trying to help the man in question, dragging the queen of the planet into these affairs. Only for the queen to be half Derdu herself and want to make serious social reform possible.

Savi wanted to laugh at how they themself had gotten invested in all of this. But how could they not? It would have been cruel to ignore and turn their back on the suffering of the Derdu and to dismiss Alier’s anguish and desire for revenge. A notion that the Jedi would have never encouraged or gone along with. A part of Savi wondered if the Jedi would have even decided to bring the queen in without their presence there. They didn’t believe that the Jedi would have learned of Aimle without Savi’s interference. What would have happened to Alier?

Their eyes turned to the door in curiosity. They wondered how the conversation was going. They heard no loud noises or shouting, so hopefully things were going well. Savi had to hope that the queen would believe him, but she also seemed inclined to do so.

“I don’t like this,” Obi-Wan voiced. Savi raised a brow at him.

“Why’s that, master?” Anakin asked, with a sure smile. “The queen seems confident, so why aren’t you?”

“It’s not that I doubt the capabilities of the queen, it’s more that I fear Alier may be lying to us.” Obi-Wan expressed.

“You don’t trust my intuition? I can literally feel emotions run through a person, and I can tell when someone’s lying. He wasn’t lying.” Savi defended. They could feel Obi-Wan tense before he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

“I apologise. I’ve been on edge since we got the queen out of the castle. It’s not something I– the Jedi typically do.” Obi-Wan said. Savi’s gaze softened. To anyone who couldn’t feel his emotions, Obi-Wan would have been the pinnacle of a man who kept things close to heart, with nary a hair out of place. He was usually a very well composed person, and his exterior did not betray him. However, Savi could feel unease-annoyance-relief coming off of him regardless. They also got the impression that doing something so… rule-bendy was not Obi-Wan’s favourite thing in the galaxy.

“I understand, master.” Anakin replied, trying desperately not to allow his smile to widen, Savi felt. “If you’ll both excuse me.”

“Where are you going?” Savi asked, watching Anakin walk off. The younger man paused and looked over at the two.

“To the restroom,” Anakin said, before continuing forward. Savi smiled awkwardly before their gaze returned to the wall, staring at it for a moment as they allowed their thoughts to wander about other topics. They wondered if their ship was still all right, what their family’s droid, SAT-3N, was up to, and where they’d go next…

The hissing of the door to Alier’s holding cell alerted Savi and Obi-Wan to the queen’s presence, and just in time as Anakin returned. However, what was most shocking was that beside Despoina was Alier himself. Savi could feel trepidation-intrigue-respect oozing off of him as they wondered what had the queen said to make him walk free.

“Queen Despoina has promised to release my sister, for no price at all. And… she’s also promised to release those who were wrongfully imprisoned.” Alier spoke after a moment, looking at the woman herself with deep respect yet also surprised. His gaze flickered back to Savi. “However, a deal’s a deal, and I will help you. What do you need?”

Savi grinned in delight and excitement. Perhaps this would be possible, after all.

“Well, for starters, can you tell us who gave you the recipe for the poison we found in your basement?” Anakin asked. Alier grimaced at that and sighed.

“I didn’t make it, if that’s what you are asking. We were gonna use the poison to kill the royals- no offence, your highness.” Alier began, before apologising. Despoina smiled and shook her head.

“I don’t blame you,” she replied. Alier smirked at that before his attention returned to Anakin.

“I got the recipe from a Sith Lord. His name is Count Dooku.” Alier said. Anakin and Obi-Wan traded heavy looks, and Savi also knew the implications as they and Anakin met eyes. Perhaps their theorising with him from before had been a mistake? Could Anakin have been mistaken about the Count’s origins?

“You got the poison from Count Dooku?” Savi asked, just to confirm. Alier furrowed his brows and nodded, obviously confused by their own confusion.

“Yeah. The militia’s been getting support from the Separatists. I never liked working for ‘em, but when you’re promised freedom, you’ll take anything.” Alier confessed. Savi turned to Anakin with a serious look in their eyes.

“And Count Dooku has no Sith lineage?” Savi asked. They could feel Obi-Wan’s bemused eyes on them, but Anakin was quick to their rescue.

“To my knowledge, no.” Anakin confirmed.

“Absolutely not,” Obi-Wan interrupted, his gaze flipping between the two of them. “Count Dooku was born on Serreno with no Sith family to speak of. His family encouraged his training as a Jedi, and I highly doubt a Sith family would do that.”

“How do you know that?” Savi asked, leaning forward slightly.

“My former Master, Qui-Gon Jinn, was a Padawan of Dooku’s. But that is neither here nor there, why is it important if Dooku had Sith lineage?” Obi-Wan asked, brows furrowing.

Savi ignored him for the moment, retreating into their thoughts. Hearing that Alier got Hira poison from Count Dooku of all people, who had been a Jedi before and had no connection to any Sith lineage, was certainly a surprising turn of events. But that still did not answer the question of where Count Dooku got it from, especially if the man definitely did not have Sith lineage. Alier seemed to notice Savi’s befuddlement.

“Okay, what am I missing?” He asked.

“Do you know what that poison is?” Savi asked, their tone grave. Alier shook his head.

“No, but I know it is deadly. Very deadly. The chemical compound itself is very difficult to come by and even harder to synthesise. That’s why my lab was useful.” Alier said. His eyes slowly looked over to Savi, narrowing slightly. “Something tells me that there’s more to this poison than I thought.”

“You are not wrong,” Savi said. “It’s called Hira Poison, and the reason why I ask if Dooku had Sith lineage was because it’s a Sith poison.”

“You neglected to mention that before,” Obi-Wan stated, trying to sound diplomatic but his disapproval was palpable. Behind Obi-Wan, Savi spotted Anakin’s wide eyes. He certainly hadn’t expected them to reveal that bit of information in front of Obi-Wan. Savi sighed.

“I should have said something sooner, but I didn’t think it was important. The reason why I know it’s a Sith poison specifically is because my family liked to be in the know about things like this. I wasn’t kidding when I said I was a history buff.” Savi explained, being truthful without revealing the whole truth. Anakin looked relieved, and thankfully Obi-Wan did not pick up on Anakin’s emotions and instead searched Savi’s eyes for any sign of deception. A mask that Savi had learned to perfect to some degree, and speaking in half-truths was helpful. Savi smiled apologetically, and it was genuine. “I’m sorry for not saying anything about it sooner. I didn’t think it was important at the time, and to be honest, it would have looked suspicious if I had said it was Sith poison out of context.”

Obi-Wan’s eyes softened at their apology. Savi knew that their sincerity would go a long way to establishing more trust between the two, and thankfully, it seemed as though the Jedi Master did not suspect anything else beyond what they said.

“I appreciate the apology. I only ask that if you know anything about such matters in the future that you tell us these details.” Ever the polite and straightforward Jedi that he seemed to be, which Savi found themselves appreciating. Though they definitely could sense some uncertainty in him, even though he did appreciate their straightforwardness… as straightforward as Savi could be without revealing too much.

“Of course,” Savi replied, smiling reassuringly. Obi-Wan nodded and turned his attention back to Alier. Savi could feel Anakin’s Force signature prodding at theirs, as if to ask if they were all right. They smiled up at him and he seemed to accept that.

Savi’s attention returned to Alier and Despoina as well. Despoina looked curious but knew that it wasn’t any of her business. On the other hand, Alier looked vaguely uncomfortable with the conversation happening in front of him, but thankfully had the nerve not to ask about it, even though he definitely did want to ask about it. The Olionian straightened up instead.

“I had begun the process of an antidote. But I only made it in case one of ours got poisoned... The Count doesn’t know about it.” Alier said, conspiratorially. Savi was certainly surprised, but it made sense. A poison like that going out to someone who didn’t know its significance and thus made an antidote was expected.

“That is actually immensely comforting,” Savi replied.

“Considering it’s a poison of Sith origin, that is definitely comforting,” Anakin confirmed, shooting Savi a knowing look. Savi was all too glad that the attention was on Alier and not on them.

“If we allowed you to use your lab again, could you finish the process?” Despoina asked, quick to business and with determination.

“Well, yeah,” Alier stated, his expression darkened. “But we better move quickly. The militia have people, even in high places, and the plan is to poison the royals soon. I don’t know when exactly.”

“That is… deeply disturbing.” Obi-Wan said, rubbing his chin contemplatively. Savi shuddered at the idea of the queen being poisoned, though the idea of the court being poisoned boded very well with them. Despoina herself looked conflicted yet also not entirely unapproving of the plan.

“In that case, we need to get moving.” Anakin said, taking charge as he gestured for Despoina and Alier to follow him. Savi began to follow.

“Mx. Han, may I have a word for a moment?” Obi-Wan asked, stopping them. Savi turned to him in surprise and nodded. Obi-Wan nodded to Anakin, who nodded in return as the younger man walked away with the queen and former prisoner. Savi met Obi-Wan’s gaze with a smile.

“Am I in trouble?” They asked, attempting to mask their anxiety. A part of them was absolutely terrified that he’d ask them if they were a Sith, even though they had done nothing to suggest that they were.

“Not at all,” Obi-Wan replied. Savi’s smile turned genuine as they relaxed. “In fact, quite the opposite.”

“Well, don’t keep me waiting.” Savi replied, in a more lighthearted tone.

“I believe that the conditions of our agreement have been met.” Obi-Wan said. Savi’s lax posture and attitude dropped.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that you have helped us with our investigation. All we did was ask you to help us find Alier, and you’ve done more than that already. I can take you to your ship now.” Obi-Wan explained, his smile was gentle yet sincere.

Savi couldn’t believe what they were hearing. They were free! They could leave now and never go back! They’d never have to deal with the Jedi or the Republic ever again! But… While everything he said was true, Savi still felt bound to the mission. They still wanted to see this through. And even though they did not like the Jedi, they were becoming rather fond of Obi-Wan and Anakin in particular, even though the former tended to be a stick in the mud at times.

“I’m sorry, Obi-Wan, but I’m going to have to deny your offer for the time being.” Savi said, with a smirk, though their eyes were soft. Obi-Wan looked surprised, but before he could say anything, Savi interrupted him. “We still have a job to do, after all.”

“I…” Obi-Wan began, bristling with surprise. There it was , Savi thought with a smile. The Jedi Master cleared his throat and nodded once, smiling. “Of course, Mx. Han.”

“Please,” Savi said, their smile widening. “Just call me Savi.”

“I will endeavour to do my best, Mx. Ha– Savi.” Obi-Wan teased, correcting himself before he could already fail. Savi giggled at this, and felt a tinge of warmth-care-jitterness flow from him, before he quickly released his emotions into the Force, silencing the noise. It made Savi pause, as they tried to feel more from him, only to receive nothing. His expression was solemn. It was such a strange and foreign a feeling.

Savi dismissed those thoughts as they and Obi-Wan went to follow Anakin. They were right, they had a job to do.

Despoina, who had since returned to the palace, began making plans and was keeping it together fairly well. Savi watched as she summoned the handmaidens, gave quick and detailed instructions, and led them all into her room before taking them into some kind of panic room. It was dimly lit, with no winds and assumedly no security watching them. The only person who wasn’t present was Alier, as he was in the palace labs, continuing to work on the antidote. Obi-Wan and Anakin were off to the side, ready to step into action whenever needed. Despoina had explained to the handmaidens what was going on, and while they looked distressed, they also remained calm.

“We may not know when the militia is planning to attack, but we will gladly taste your food for you before you eat.” One of the handmaidens offered, taking a respectful bow. Despoina smiled and shook her head.

“I will not have you sacrificing your lives to protect mine,” she argued. Savi could tell that she meant it too.

“Your humility is appreciated, your highness, but this is protocol for us. We are trained to expect such instances.” One of the other handmaidens stated, though she was dressed in more formal robes. Despoina sighed.

“I know, but I am allowed to be worried.” She said, “Thank you, regardless.”

“Of course, your majesty,” the same handmaiden replied.

“Now, we need to discuss what our next move is,” Despoina steered the topic back on track, turning to face the Force sensitives. “I would appreciate hearing your thoughts on these matters, since you are meant to protect me.”

“Of course, your highness,” Obi-Wan replied. However, before he could give his two cents, Anakin stepped forward.

“I think we should let the Militia poison the Court.” Anakin stated. Obi-Wan looked surprised, as he turned to his former Padawan.

“I believe that would be a very rash decision. Allowing a political adversary to assassinate the leaders of a planet is hardly a good idea.” Obi-Wan objected. Savi knew he’d object, but they still found themself rolling their eyes.

“I think it makes sense,” Savi began. “I think we should let the Militia kill the Court so that Despoina can have an easier time taking the throne and helping her people as quickly as possible.”

“What you are suggesting is not only deeply barbaric, but also dangerous. If we are caught, our actions would leave a deep stain on the reputation of the Republic, which is not needed. Especially during a time of war. It could also damage the reputation of the Jedi. We do not resort to dishonourable methods like these. It is not the Jedi way.” Obi-Wan explained, but to Savi it seemed more like a lecture. However, the enbie did agree to try and work with the man rather than ignoring him, and they didn’t want to argue with him about it anymore.

“Okay, so what do you suggest?” Savi asked, trying to hold back their snappy tone.

“We should take down the Militia, and then worry about the Court. With Alier’s help, we could locate some of the bases of the Militia, and cripple their supply chains, effectively putting a stop to their operations.” Obi-Wan replied.

“What about the Court? What’s stopping them and the system from continuing to oppress Derdu?” Savi retorted.

“I don’t know what to do with regards to the Court, but we cannot resort to assassination.” Obi-Wan said, and Savi could tell he was getting frustrated but doing his best to not let it affect him. Savi could feel Anakin’s amusement at the two, but he said nothing.

“I appreciate your inputs and your ideas,” Despoina spoke up, drawing attention back to her. “I agree with Master Kenobi that we should not resort to assassination unless absolutely necessary. And I do not believe it will be necessary.”

“Why’s that?” Anakin asked. Despoina exhaled through her nostrils as she closed her eyes. She looked conflicted for a moment before her face turned solemn.

“I wish to introduce myself to my people. I want to make it a broadcast for everyone to witness and hear. I want to start making promises and I know that with the support of my people, I will not be overthrown by the Court.” Despoina explained.

“What do you plan on doing, your Highness?” One of the handmaidens asked.

“I will introduce myself as the new queen, and begin signing into law declarations guaranteeing Derdu liberation and equal rights. I also know that the Court has a lot of access to wealth which I am able to access and disperse whenever I desire.”

“Are you sure that is wise? While Alier may know who you are, I do not believe his fellow Militia men would be so inclined to spare you. Going up on a public stage is a risky move, your Highness.” Obi-Wan questioned. Savi glanced back at Despoina, who looked more determined than ever. A spark within her had been lit.

“My mother did not die for me to sit by and do nothing. My people are suffering, and I refuse to be complacent when I have been given an incredible opportunity to make some much needed changes. I know it is risky, but it is also a way for me to build a bond with my people. They need to see their new queen is not some weak willed child. I will not yield to anyone. Not to the Court, not to the Militia, and not to you.” She stated, firm in her decision. Savi watched Obi-Wan as he considered her words before nodding once.

“Then we will do as you wish, your Highness.” Obi-Wan confirmed. Savi smiled, knowing that this ordeal would soon be at least somewhat over. But they were also equally excited to see some genuine change on this planet.

It had been several days since that conversation, and Despoina was preparing to go in front of a camera in order to deliver her speech. Savi, Anakin, Obi-Wan, and even Alier stood off to the side, watching the camera crew do their duties and get everything set up. The past few days had been full of hiring said crew in secret and making sure that the people that were hired could be trusted with such a broadcast without alerting the Court.

Savi glanced at Despoina, and could immediately sense anxiety-unease-determination coming off of her. But even still, it didn't take a Force user to sense her anxiety. She was fiddling with her hands, her posture was tense, and she kept pacing. However, her eyes were lit with that same determination. She would not back down, even though she was scared.

"Nervous?" Savi asked, approaching her. Despoina seemed to snap out of her thoughts as she turned to face Savi with an awkward smile.

"Was I that obvious?" She asked. Savi nodded reassuringly. The Queen sighed before smiling. "I am definitely nervous. I think I'd be a fool not to be, you know? But I know that no matter what happens, this will be the beginning of much needed change."

"I can only agree. Besides," Savi said with a smile, "if you show your people your determination and show your commitment to them, I'm sure you will be able to move planets in your leadership."

Despoina smiled widely, and looked beyond humbled by Savi's words. There was a moment of understanding between the two before one of the crew members approached them and told the Queen it was time. Despoina nodded and gracefully began walking to the balcony, which overlooked a square in the city centre bustling with activity. Holovid cameras scanned her, and with the "go" from the director, Despoina was live and was being watched by the entire planet. Below her, people started to pay attention as a large holoprojection of her appeared before them. Savi watched as Despoina paused for a moment, before steeling her nerves and addressed her people.

"My subjects... Sadee, Loitha, and Derdu, I have come before you to introduce myself to you all. My name is Despoina Atema, I am the daughter of the former King Obayas Urum and Peliseina Atema."

Savi could sense a noticable shock among the people in the square when Despoina gave her full name. Something told them that this would be a common reaction throughout the planet. If they had to harbour a guess, the surname 'Atema' was not a Sadee or Loitha surname.

"I am not of pure Sadee blood, which many have objected to as I have ascended to the throne. I know there are those who would see me removed from power, but I ask you all to pause and allow me a moment to speak. I have witnessed the plight of the Derdu as I have lived among them. I know how our streets are broken, our homes in shambles... how our destitute wander the streets, abusing drugs and being preyed on by the Sadee. I have seen this in my mother, whom I lived with until her death. She was murdered by a Sadee man. I was 10 years old."

Savi felt a tug at their heart as a very familiar feeling creeped up on them -- sympathy . They quickly dismissed this feeling and focused on what was happening around them. There was palpable shock among everyone, the Jedi included. Nobody was expecting such a revelation.

"But I am not here to cast blame or judgement upon any group. I am not here for revenge. I do not know why my father chose me as his successor, but I intend to use this power to serve my people. All of my people. Effective immediately, I intend to distribute food, medical supplies, and funds for any Derdu who requires them. I promise to elevate the Derdu to an equal status with the Loitha and the Sadee. Within the coming months, I plan to draft bills to introduce new protections for Derdu, liberate any Derdu falsely imprisoned within the prisons, create new education programs which all will be able to attend, invest into infrastructure for all people, and establish a new constitution for everyone. To any Loitha or Sadee who are watching this, I do not intend to remove you from your homes or take away any of your wealth. In fact, I intend to expand our reaches and work towards a relationship with other governments off of Olion. I know this will be a rather drastic change for many of you, but if you put your trust in me, I promise I will not abuse it."

As she finished this statement, she turned to the Jedi and Alier. Her gaze focused on him as she gestured for Alier to join her. Savi was just as surprised as the Jedi, and Alier seemed to be even more shocked. However, with a reassuring smile and another gesture, Alier walked out onto the balcony and his form soon joined the holovid. He was beyond awkward, standing there and frozen up. Despoina took his hand into hers as she looked up at him.

"This is Alier. He is a Derdu from the Simanta village and out of desperation he joined a Derdu militia group, which intended to kill the royals, myself included. So, why is he up here with me? I have found him to be an honourable man with a good soul. Much like myself, he saw the state of the Derdu people and wanted to do something about it. His sister was falsely imprisoned for daring to ask why the Derdu were so hated. They were ignored and oppressed for many years, and had I been in his shoes, I would have joined the militia as well. I understand why he rebeled, and why many others like him also rebeled. I have lived in his world. But I believe there is a way for all of us to live in unity and peace, and to build a stronger bond together. If you put your trust in us, I know we will all be able to make a better Olion--"

A laser blast hit the wall behind Despoina as she had moved just in time to dodge it. She stood there stunned for a moment but Alier was faster, tackling her to the floor as more laser blasts flew over them. Savi and the Jedi immediately jumped into action, with the Jedi deflecting any remaining blasts. They seemed to be coming from a parallel building to them. Savi covered for Alier and Despoina to get inside and out of view. The blasts stopped as the assassin fled.

"Go! Protect the Queen, Anakin and I will arrest the assassin!" Obi-Wan ordered, clearly falling into the habits of a commanding officer. Savi rolled their eyes but obeyed, knowing that now was not the time to argue on who got to boss who around. As Obi-Wan and Anakin began scaling down the building, Savi led Despoina and Alier deeper into the palace. Once they were safely away from any window, Despoina stopped running. She looked terrified.

"Who could have done this?" She asked aloud. Alier and Savi glanced at each other, and Savi pried into his feelings. Confusion-curiosity-terror. It seemed like even he was out of the loop, but Savi knew they couldn't dismiss the possibility.

"Do you think any of the militia might have done this?" Savi asked.

"It's possible, but this is pretty heavily guarded Sadee territory. It would have taken some serious effort to even get into that building. I don't think it was the militia." Alier replied, and Savi could sense he was telling the truth. But still...

"Are you sure?" They pressed.

"I believe him." Despoina spoke up, her voice solemn. "It would have taken the Derdu an army to even get in the capital. A lowly assassin carrying a weapon would have been arrested at the gates after they searched him." She chuckled. "I can see why you decided to use the Hira poison instead."

Alier had the decency to look at least a little sheepish, to which Despoina smiled widely at. Savi could feel the bonds of a possible friendship blooming between the two. However, before anything else could be discussed, a group of decadently dressed Olionian men and women quickly approached them. There were about 8 of them, and from the symbols on their crests, Savi could only assume that these people were some of the most wealthy people on this planet. Ah yes... these people were the Court. And they all looked so concerned... Too concerned for Savi's liking.

"Oh, your highness!" One of the men exclaimed, taking Despoina's hand into his with dramatics that Savi did not find endearing. "Are you injured? We saw what happened!"

"I am fine, Lord Kilkos," Despoina replied calmly. She slowly pulled her hand away. "I'm all right thanks to Alier and the Jedi."

"Well, that is excellent! Where are the Jedi?" Lord Kilkos asked.

"They are tracking down the assassin as we speak." Despoina replied. Lord Kilkos smiled, looking relieved and relaxed.

"Good, good!" He said, before clicking his tongue and gesturing to the guards. He pointed towards Alier. "Arrest this man."

As the guards made a move, Savi and Despoina stood in the way. "On what charges?!" Despoina demanded.

"On the charge of conspiring to murder you, my Lady!" Lord Kilkos accused. "He and his little terrorist scum planned to assassinate you! Can't you see it?"

"Your highness, I swear to the Gods that I did not do that! I wouldn't risk my sister's life like that!" Alier pleaded, and Savi knew that there was not a single hint of a lie in his words. Despoina smiled back at him.

"Don't worry, I know you didn't do this," she said, before her warm gaze turned cold as she faced the Court. "We all know that a lone Derdu assassin carrying a weapon would not be able to even get to the square. That would be suicidal. Besides, I already knew what the militia were planning as soon as I spoke to Alier. And it wasn't this. No, this had to come from a more organised source, from people who could get into the square and who had the resources to do so. I know all Derdu would hesitate before shooting someone with my surname. No... this was conducted by people who didn't approve of my Derdu heritage."

Kilkos narrowed his eyes, but tried to remain somewhat composed. "What are you implying?"

"I think you know exactly what I am implying, Lord Kilkos..." Despoina said, her voice dangerously calm. She leaned forward, staring down at the older yet shorter man before her. "Did the Court try to have me executed?"

"My lady! That is an unfounded accusation!" Another one of the Court members shouted.

"Less unfounded than you all accusing Alier of a crime which is next to impossible to commit!" Despoina argued. It wasn't long before voices began to overpower other ones and a full on argument broke out. Even Alier joined in to defend himself. While everyone was distracted, Savi's world turned slow as they watched one of the Court members draw a blaster and aim for Despoina's chest. Their eyes widened and they knew instantly what they needed to do.

The laser blast was deflected before it could even reach its target. The hallway fell into silence as a red glow illuminated the group. Savi stood in front of Despoina, resplendent and powerful, with a red lightsaber in their hands. A rush of power was felt in the Force, and Savi smiled as they held their family's sacred weapon. In a few slashes, the blaster was rendered to pieces and the blade was held to the throat of Lord Kilkos. The Olionian looked ready to absolutely piss himself as his body violently shook. The others in the Court didn't look much better. Savi's smile widened.

"I don't know much about your laws, but I do believe that regicide is still very much illegal here... So, whether you like it or not, Queen Despoina is your new leader. And if I catch any one of you bastards trying a move like this again, I'll slit your throats, bathe in your blood, and scatter your bodies so that no one will ever find them. And I mean no one ..." Savi explained, eeriely calm. "Do we understand each other?"

"P-P-Perfectly!" Kilkos squeaked. Savi retracted their saber and clipped it back onto their belt, hidden out of view. The Queen's personal guards soon found them and Despoina ordered the Court to be arrested. They were taken away, but Savi knew for a fact that not one of them would soon forget their threat.

"You aren't just any ordinary Force user, are you?" Despoina asked, bringing Savi back to reality. Her voice lacked judgement, and carried more of a curiosity to it.

"No, I'm not." Savi replied, fully ready to have Despoina tell Obi-Wan who they were and for them to be chased and arrested. Whatever. It was for a good cause.

"I see," Despoina stated. She glanced at Alier, who wasn't surprised. Then again, Savi had used a Darkside technique to invade his mind, something which the Jedi definitely didn't do. It wouldn't have surprised Savi if he had guessed what they were. There was a pause before Despoina met Savi's gaze. "I'm sure Masters Kenobi and Skywalker would love to hear that you valiantly grabbed the blaster out of his hand and threw it out of reach before the guards arrived."

All Savi could do was smile.

Two weeks had gone by since the speech. The members of the Court were imprisoned until their trial in the coming months. Despoina didn't wait around as she immediately began drafting new bills and laws, allocating the vast wealth of the royal family in order to help pay for all of the new changes she was making. Some Sadee were furious because of her changes, and some Loitha withdrew from the military in protest. But she didn't persecute them, and in response to her immediate action, many Derdu stepped up and volunteered to be her own personal guard. A notion she was extremely grateful for. Some members of the militia disbanded, but others remained sceptical. Though it seemed like her initiatives with providing relief and assistance for the Derdu seemed to alleviate some of their suspicions. The political prisoners were freed immediately as well, and Alier was soon reunited with a sister who was almost as tall as he was. Despite all the naysayers, there were many Olionians who stood behind their new Queen. Even some Sadee, who were promised shares of the new trade deals that having contact with tthe broader galaxy would bring, also stood behind her.

As the chaos calmed down and Despoina established her power, it was time for the Jedi and Mx. Han to leave.

"Will you be all right?" Master Skywalker asked the Queen, who was now dressed in significantly less decorative clothes. She looked like a commoner, which she preferred. She didn't much like the layered dresses and the long veils. Standing beside her was her new advisor Alier, who took on the new role with humility. He insisted that he couldn't do that job and that he wasn't anyone special. But Despoina knew better.

"I'll be all right. I have gathered a lot of support in many of the regions of Olion and I know that over time, things will change. I don't think we can stay in conflict forever. I truly do believe that we can be united and equal as a people someday." Despoina said with a confident smile.

"Then you will make a fine queen." Master Kenobi said. "I hope you will consider joining the Republic someday."

"Master Kenobi, please do not be offended when I ask this, but when you arrived here, were you intending on helping the people on this planet?" She asked. There was a brief pause as Master Kenobi seemed to considered his words carefully.

"No, we did not." Kenobi replied, and he had the decency to sound at least a little ashamed. Despoina leveled him with a painfully neutral look. She harboured no hatred for him nor any resentment, but she did want him to know something important.

"I will consider joining the Republic. If the Republic would acknowledge the fact that it did nothing for my people at large and enabled horrible people in power to do horrible things through their negligence." Despoina stated. He nodded, taking on a more neutral stance.

"I will relay the message. Thank you for allowing us to be here." Master Kenobi said diplomatically. The rumours about him being the Negotiator seemed to be true. She smiled. She bid the Jedi farewell before they began boarding their ship. But she soon noticed that Mx. Han seemed to be preoccupied with Alier handing them something. Mx. Han looked deeply troubled yet grateful. After their conversation was over and Alier walked away, Despoina approached Mx. Han and took their hand into hers, which they were surprised by.

"Please take care of yourself, Mx. Han. And I hope you find what you are looking for someday." She said as she saw Mx. Han's eyes change for a moment before they refocused. To what, she wasn't sure. Regardless, the secret Darkside user nodded once in appreciation.

"Thank you, your Highness." They said with the utmost sincerity.

Despoina's smile widened. With a few goodbyes, she watched Mx. Han board the ship. The starship took off soon after. She didn't know who Savi Han was or what their goals were, but she doubted that they'd cause any kind of pain to an innocent soul. And she feared for those who would challenge them.

The flight back to Ilsegard was not a very long one, and yet it felt like an eternity. Savi sat alone in the main entrance area, grasping onto the vial Alier had given them. It was the antidote to the Hira poison, and its formula was uploaded to their wristband. He had claimed that he wanted it to be in the hands of a person who would be able to recognise what its target was. Savi put it away in their bag before staring out one of the windows. The world around them flew by as the rain continued to pour down.

"We're almost there," Obi-Wan's voice cut through their musings. Savi exhaled in relief.

"Finally!" They exclaimed, rather dramatically. Obi-Wan smiled, his amusement evident.

"Come now, it couldn't have been that bad." He teased. Savi shook their head as they grinned.

"Nah, it was all right. Got to save a planet, destroy a caste system, life's good." They said, leaning against the wall of the ship and feelings its vibrations course through them.

"You certainly seem to take a liking to it." Obi-Wan replied. "Perhaps with some refinement and some training, you could be a Jedi Knight."

"A Jedi Knight? Please." Savi laughed, as if what he said was the funniest joke. "Sorry, but that's not something I will ever be interested in."

"I will not pressure you then. Besides, I doubt the Council would accept someone your age to join us." Obi-Wan said, with an air of neutrality to his voice. Savi felt for his emotions, only to find them long kept under lock and key. Damn, he was getting savvy to them prying into his emotions. "I'm assuming you are looking forward to returning to your ship?"

"Definitely. I'd like to get off this planet and continue on my way." Savi replied, once again concealing their intentions through half-truths.

"What will you do after?" He asked.

"Eh, do a few odd jobs. I work for a few folks who pay well, so I'll be well treated, don't worry. I have places to be." Savi said, and even they knew that their answer was vague as shit. Whether Obi-Wan bought it or not, they knew that soon they'd never see the two Jedi ever again. Even though the thought sent a pang through them.

"I see," was all he said in response. There was a brief moment of silence as Savi resumed staring out the window. "I neglected to mention this earlier, but… I am glad you convinced me to help the Olionians.”

His words snapped Savi out of their thoughts. He met their gaze unwavering, and his admittance sounded like a confession. To have a Jedi like Obi-Wan say that to them was a… shock, to say the least.

“Thanks…” Savi muttered, trying to find some reason for this. But they couldn't think of any for him to tell them this beyond just making them feel good. And it did feel good, but not in the way they expected. It felt... warm and genuine. “I appreciate that, a lot.”

"Of course," Obi-Wan said.

The remainder of the flight was silent.

"Here, I want you to have this."

Standing near their own ship, Savi and Anakin were sharing their goodbyes. Obi-Wan stood nearby, but far enough away to give the two a moment just to talk. Savi watched as Anakin handed them what looked to be a communicator. It was relatively small and fit in their hand. Savi raised their brow.

"What's this?" They asked, perhaps redundantly.

"A communicator, what else? I'd like for us to stay in touch." Anakin said.

"Really?" Savi asked. The notion that he wanted to give them a communicator to stay in contact triggered their paranoia. What if Anakin put a tracker on it? What if he changed his mind and went back and reported them to the Jedi? What if he was lying? All of these anxieties spun around in their mind as they tried to rationalise to themself that Anakin had the opportunity to do that weeks ago, and still didn't. They pushed away their paranoid thoughts and focused on him for now.

"Only if you want to, of course! And you can activate it whenever you'd like." Anakin reassured them, before speaking quieter. "I know you have your secrets to keep..."

This definitely helped to ease their paranoia a tad as they eyed the communicator. If Anakin had wanted to report them, he could have done it earlier. If he intended on hurting them, he would have done so sooner. Savi had no idea why he was so invested in keeping their secret. By all accounts, Jedi were supposed to be immediately suspicious and aggressive towards the Sith. But Anakin was, as established, a very different kind of Jedi, it seemed. Savi appreciated it nonetheless. It didn't take long for them to firmly grasp the communicator and put it in their bag.

"I will guard it with my life." Savi said cheekily. Anakin laughed, shaking his head in mock disapproval.

"Don't get killed too easily. I need someone to keep me sane." He joked. Savi chuckled.

"No promises."

Anakin waved once with a smirk. "I'll see you around, Savi."

"You too," Savi replied. Anakin gave them one last smile before he walked back to his ship, leaving Obi-Wan to say his own goodbyes. Savi leaned against one of the legs of their ship, as they smiled. "He's a great person. You should be proud."

"I am," Obi-Wan replied. There was a brief pause as neither knew what to say really. "If we meet again in the future, I hope it will be in a less chaotic setting."

Savi couldn't help the genuine smile creeping up on them. "I hope so too."

"Until then, Savi Han." Obi-Wan said, his sky blue eyes carrying a hint of mischief to them. That hint alone immediately intriguing the enbie. Perhaps this Jedi wasn't such a stick in the mud, after all...

"Until then, Obi-Wan Kenobi." Savi repeated, smiling with equal mirth.

The two parted ways, returning to their own ships. It didn't take long for the ship Anakin and Obi-Wan were piloting to take off for the stars. Savi didn't immediately leave. They walked over to the controls and began firing up the centuries old ship. Despite it being an older model, the Black Bird was an excellent ship. Within a few moments, the familiar sound of SAT-3N's high-pitched voice came flooding onto the bridge.

"AH! Master! You were gone for so long! You had me worried! Why, I was thinking of coming to get you myself, but I couldn't track you! I was so worried, terrified, mortified that I didn't know what to do!!!" The poor Droid wailed in anguish as he wrapped his little arms around their leg. As much as the Droid could be annoying, SAT-3N did genuinely care for them. And that was rare in this galaxy.

"I'm all right, Sat, don't worry. All in one piece." Savi reassured. But before SAT-3N could make anymore protests or cries, Savi sat down in the piliot's seat. "Buckle up, buddy. We're headed to the Domuras System."

"The Domuras System?" SAT-3N asked, taking the co-pilot's seat.

"Yep. Aol owes me money."

As the ship took off and flew out of the atmosphere and into the vast reaches of space, Savi reached into their bag and pulled out a pyramid-shaped object, which fit into their hand, ornately decorated and painted in black with silver trimming. The very top of the object was missing, and the correct piece could be slotted in. SAT-3N audibly gasped.

"You found another!" He exclaimed with excitement. Savi ignored him for the moment as they reached under their shirt and pulled out what looked to be the tip of a pyramid. Like a key. They tried to slide the key into the top, only to find that it didn't fit.

"Dammit." Savi cursed, leaning back into their seat, frustrated.

"I'm sure you'll find the other ones too, Master. I have faith in your abilities!" SAT-3N encouraged. Savi half-heartedly smiled, but didn't say another word. They knew he was right. The rest of the Holocrons had to be out there somewhere. They could only hope that they wouldn't be as difficult to retrieve.

The Force had other plans for them.