Aris: A Skywalker Story

17.Change

Aris's POV

"You summoned me, Chancellor?" I ask as I step into Chancellor Palpatine's office.

"Yes," Palpatine replies. "I am terribly sorry to hear about your mother."

"How-?" 

"Your brother told me."

"Oh."

"But I didn't call you here for that."

My eyes light up.

"It has occured to me that the council doesn't truly appreciate your talents. Even after you rescued your mother from an entire group of Tusken Raiders. I have requested for the council to give you a mission," Palpatine says.

I can barely contain my excitement. I'm finally going on my first mission alone!

"Thank you, Chancellor," I say with a big smile and walk out of the office.

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I am summoned to the Jedi Council not long after.

And they look very reluctant to send me on this mission.

"We have detected a strong disturbance on the planet Sellona," Master Windu says.

"Send you there to investigate, we will," Yoda continues.

"Under the Chancellor's request," Master Windu mutters.

I hear that.

Annoyed, I glare at him.

"Thank you, Master," I say through gritted teeth and walk out of the room.

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I get the "Why do you get to go on a mission before me" look from Anakin who is waiting outside the room for me.

I shrug my shoulders, about to head towards my ship when Anakin stops me.

"Be careful, 'Ris."

"I get it Anakin. Stop being so overprotective of me. I can handle myself!" I snap back and walk away.

So it turns out, Sellona is in the outer rim, quite close to Tatooine. Once I leave Coruscant, I set course for Sellona and make the jump to hyperspace.

I arrive there in a few minutes and the purplish-blue planet greets me. As my ship lands on the surface, I see that thick fog covers almost the entire landscape and visiblity is poor.

I step out of the ship, my hands resting over my lightsabers, ready to draw them at a moment's notice. It is eerily quiet. Only the occasional sound of wind breaks the silence.

The ground crunches under my feet with every step I take. My footsteps are left behind in the gravel-like dirt, so it will be easy for me to get back to the ship.

The council said that they sensed a disturbance here, but I don't sense anything at all. In fact, my vision feels...clouded.

"Hello?" I call out uncertainly. "Is anyone here?'

No reply.

"Anyone?"

Still nothing.

After walking for a bit, I see a small town throught the fog.

I hope there are some people here that can help me.

Picking up the pace, I sprint towards the town, only to find it deserted.Buildings are crumbling, cobwebs everywhere, half-eaten food strewn across the floors. This doesn't look good.

I turn on my comlink, which is connected to the council's transmission room.

"Hello, this is Padawan Aris Skywalker reporting in. I found a town and I think something happened to all the residents there. It could be related to the disturbance that the council sensed," I report.

"...can't...you Padawan...you're...breaking up..." the voice from my comlink is also breaking up. Maybe the fog is interfering with the signal.

"Hello? Can you hear me? Hello?" I call desperately into the comlink.

No reply, but only the sound of static. Oh great. It looks like I'm alone now.

I decide to look around the town a little more. I enter one of the crumbling houses. Of course there is no one there. A deep line cuts through from the inside of the house to the outside of its entrance.

I don't know whether I should head back to Coruscant or investigate more.

This is my first mission. I cannot fail.

Eventually, I decide to push on.

After heading out of that house, I explore a little more. I don't find anything else much except a few scratch marks. It looks like I can't find anything else useful here, so I prepare to head out.

As I reach the edge of that town, I feel a strong force pulling me back to the town. Instinctively, I pull out my lightsabers and ignite them. Turning around, I expect to see someone, but I only see a huge tear in the air behind me, sucking me in. Its outer area glows greenish-blue, illuminating my surroundings in an eerie glow. Wind rushes all around me.

And now I start to panic. My heart pounds in my chest. 

"Help!" I scream into my comlink.

Of course no reply.

What do I do?

I make a futile attempt to run away, but with each step I make, the force from the tear just pulls me back.

Pieces of food scrap and chunks from some buildings come flying at me. Using the Force to push them aside, I struggle with trying to not get sucked into the tear.

Suddenly, a big chunk smashes into me, pushing me into the tear. In shock, I loosen my grip around my lightsabers and they fall to the ground. The chunk pushes me deeper and deeper into the tear, while I attempt to push it back with all my strength.

"HELP!" I scream one more time as the world I was previously in fades from view. The tear has closed.

I now find myself in a swirling vortex of green and blue light. Debris is flying all around me, getting threateningly close to me. I cling onto the big chunk that pushed me into this mess, hoping that it will at least give me some protection.

Well, the big chunk does not give me enough protection.

Suddenly, another chunk rams into my head. The world gets blurry as a light from the other side comes into view.

Come on, just hold on for a little-

And my world goes black.

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a/n: This is the last chapter of this story, there is an author's note on the next chapter where my new book will be! Please read it. Thanks!