The Loyalty of the Dark

Chapter 8

"She's finally beginning to stabilize," one of the Healers said as Eclipse's heart rate finally began to slow down. She had been getting worse no matter what the Healers did ever since Anakin had brought her to the Temple. They said something about her subconsciously using the Force and possibly over extending herself, but they couldn't seem to find a way to block her off. Anakin could only hope that Eclipse would stop before she went too far. He told himself that he was only worried about her because if she didn't recover, they'd never figure out the mystery surrounding her sudden appearance.

All the same, the Jedi couldn't help the breath of relief as he watched from a corner. They'd taken Eclipse's mask off when she had arrived so they could hook her up to oxygen if they needed, and Anakin had been surprised to find that the girl's mask hid nothing but her face and two identical starburst scars on either cheek.

What was more surprising were the thin wires the Healers had discovered that appeared to run up and down her body just beneath her skin and glow with a faint unnatural light—they'd discovered them while they were treating her numerous burns. Eclipse appeared to be a true cyborg, the most advanced anyone had ever seen—more advanced than either Republic or Separatist technology could provide—and the first Force sensitive one in years.

Yet another mystery, and one that was most likely more complicated than the other however many others that surrounded her.

"Knight Skywalker?"one of the Healers asked.

"Yes?" Anakin asked, looking up at the man.

"She's stable now. I would prescribe rest and make sure she attends to those wounds properly. And if any of her inner wires were affected, ensure she comes back. We may have never seen the technology before, but I dare say it would be better for us to try to fix it rather than leave it."

"Understood, thank you."

The Healer only nodded before leaving with his padawan. Anakin sighed, looking back at Eclipse. The Healers had removed most of the girl's armor and her over tunic, leaving her in her under tunic with her arms bare save for the bandages and in the process leaving the evidence of what was beneath her skin plain as day.

"Who are you?" the Jedi asked himself aloud as he studied her, his eyes moving from her arms, to her face. Eclipse's hair was black and her skin was lightly tanned. If memory served, her eyes were dark blue. The scars on her cheeks were pale and old.

But those weren't her only scars. Her arms had them as well—laser blasts, cuts from shrapnel, maybe even a lightsaber or two. Fewer and older ones where her armor covered her, but still.

"Hunter, assassin, soldier, Force user, smuggler, killer, healer, demon, savior, shadow. Take your pick," she had told Grievous.

Force user, check. Considering neither he nor Padmé had noticed her in the shadows before, it was easy to see her potential as an assassin. A soldier, her scars and fighting ability were evidence enough. Same for the killing, she was more than capable.

Anakin wondered if the rest were just as true. And if she did that much, he wondered what the hell her Master currently required her to be. Eclipse almost seemed like a wild card considering her wide range of abilities, and while she had fought for the Republic today, he didn't know if that was her stance in the war. It probably depended on her Master's stance.

Which brought him to the question of who this Master of her's was.

The Jedi's eyes returned to Eclipse's face, only to find that she was wide awake.

"Where's my mask?" she asked, calm save for the hint of panic in her eyes.

"The Healers took it off in case you needed oxygen. Why do you wear it?"

"To protect my identity. Where is it?"

"Why do you need to protect your identity?"

"So that when I don't want to be shot at, I can walk around. These," Eclipse gestured to the scars on her face, "make me too recognizable."

Anakin just shook his head even as he picked the mask off of the chair the rest of her clothes were resting on. "Alright, next question, who and what are you?"

"What do you mean?"

"You're a cyborg," the Jedi stated as he handed her back the mask. "And you look more advanced than anything in existence."

"How many people know?" Eclipse asked.

"Just me and the two Healers that treated you."

"Will they tell anyone?"

"....Protical keeps patients anonymous, so probably nothing beyond vague things. Now my question," he said, crossing his arms as he fixed her a glare.

"You wouldn't believe me," Eclipse stated.

"Try me."

Eclipse was silent for several long moments, staring at the mask in her hands. "I'm originally from the Unknown Regions—it's where my Master found me. I was already like this when he did. We don't know who did it or why."

Anakin could sense her truthfulness, and yet he still couldn't help the feeling she was hiding something. "That doesn't sound right."

"I know, but it's true."

"Wouldn't you remember who did this to you?"

"The surgeries damaged my brain, added with a long spell in carbonite, and I remember nothing of who I was before my Master found me."

"Where's this Master of yours? Shouldn't you be with him?"

"Elsewhere. I don't think I will be meeting back up with him for a while thanks to whatever made me appear," Eclipse responded slowly, though her voice dropped at the realization as she put the mask back on her face. "Where am I?"

"Halls of Healing, Jedi Temple."

The girl gave one stiff nod. "Figured."

Anakin sighed once more, easily able to tell that she wasn't about to volunteer information without dancing around the issue. Regardless of how truthful she was being, he wanted answers, meaning he needed to bring her to the Council, but first.... "What were you doing in the shadows?"

"What do you mean?"

"A friend of mine thought you were watching her," he stated, struggling to keep his anger hidden. "A senator in fact."

"I see," Eclipse said. "Well, Anakin, that's because I was."

The Jedi could only blink at her bluntness for a moment.

"Not to worry, I'm an excellent secret keeper. Perhaps you could introduce us? My Master wishes for me to be her bodyguard while I'm here."

"I.... What? Why?"

"He is an old....acquaintance," Eclipse responded, her voice measured. "He....foresaw something happening to her, but it makes no sense. He wishes for me to get to the bottom of it."

"What did he see?" Anakin asked, his eyes narrowing.

"In time," the girl responded, her voice casual as she hopped off of the bed and began to redress herself.

"Eclipse—" the Jedi began, his tone turning dangerous.

"You are close to her. If it is truly a threat, you will soon know. If not, then is it really that bad for her to gain a bodyguard of my abilities?"

"I don't know what you are or who's side you're on!"

"I am on my Master's side. He is currently aligned with the Republic; therefore, so am I. I mean no harm to you or her nor," she continued, her voice dropping as she swung her cloak over her shoulders, leaving the hood down, "the children she carries."

And while Anakin was still staring in shock, Eclipse waltzed out the door.