"Dathomir?" I gasp. "I thought Darth Maul's species was from Iridonia."
Darth Maul. The first Sith to appear in over a thousand years. Obi Wan killed him on Naboo twelve years ago, around the same time he and Qui-Gon Jinn first discovered Anakin on Tatooine.
He was hailed a legend.
"Master Windu believes Dathomir is the planet where Maul and others of his kind were raised, but Iridonia is where the rest of the species dwells." Obi Wan explains.
"And what do we need to do?" Anakin asks.
"We have been tasked to travel to Dathomir to find the source of this new threat." Obi Wan states.
Great. Just great. I have spent plenty of time in the Jedi archives over the years reading about various planets and dangers within the galaxy. Close to the top of the list is Dathomir– the home of the Nightsisters.
A nightmare planet containing magick-wielding female witches who channel the dark side of the force is not somewhere I want to go.
"Obi Wan, if I may, are you sure this is safe? Dathomirian's aren't exactly known for their warm welcomes." I state.
"I assure you we will be fine, (Y/N). Go inform Cal and Ahsoka that we will be leaving very shortly." Obi Wan says.
He wants to take Padawan's to Dathomir? No way. I am not going to willing allow Cal and Ahsoka to travel to Dathomir, even if they are surrounded by three other Jedi.
"Cal and Ahsoka should stay behind." Anakin decides. "They don't need to be exposed to that kind of dark energy."
"I agree. I'm not taking them to Dathomir." I stand my ground.
"Very well." Obi Wan agrees. "Let them know of our mission and meet me in the docking bay as soon as possible. The sooner we leave, the better."
We part ways with Obi Wan and proceed through the Jedi Temple. The thought of going to Dathomir remains present in the front of my mind. If it is anything like it is in the Archives, it is not somewhere I wish to be.
"You really don't want to go to Dathomir, do you?" Anakin teases.
"Let's just say it isn't my idea of a vacation." I remark.
Anakin laughs and I can't help but laugh with him. His laughter is infectious, and I would do anything to allow him to be this happy for a little longer. Unfortunately, that is not possible when we are volunteering to visit a planet known to fill people with utter darkness.
"Dathomir is clouded with dark energy." I say abruptly. "Just make sure you don't let it get to you. If you let the darkness in, you will not overpower it."
He looks at me angrily at first, as if offended that I could even suggest that he would succumb to darkness. Upon seeing the worry on my face, this melts away. It's not that I actually think the dark side could overpower Anakin, it's that I do not trust what will be waiting on Dathomir.
"I promise you, (Y/N), I will never let darkness consume me. You never have to worry about that." He reassures me.
I begin to feel stupid for asking Anakin to promise such a thing. He is not evil. He does not even have the capacity for it. My husband is kind, loyal, and compassionate. I don't need a promise between us to prove that.
Cal and Ahsoka are busy training with each other in the dojo when we finally come across them. Ahsoka has become incredibly confident wielding two blades, especially now that her second lightsaber has been crafted using her own crystal from Ilum.
They are both exceptional and will grow to be strong Jedi. Between Ahsoka's lightsaber skills and Cal's deep connection to the force, they will be great assets to the Order.
"Ahsoka! Cal!" I call to gain their attention.
They quickly deactivate their lightsabers and walk over to us.
"Skyguy, (Y/N)." Ahsoka greets us.
The two of them bow before us. Ahsoka may seem a little disrespectful in her mannerisms toward Anakin at times, but she holds Anakin in the highest possible regard.
"Is there anything you need?" Cal asks genuinely.
"(Y/N) and I are going with Obi Wan to Dathomir on a mission. We wanted to let you know before we leave." Anakin explains
"And you're not bringing us? Again?" Cal complains.
They both seem upset by this decision, but they have to know it's what's best for them. Dathomir is dangerous. The threats bound to be waiting for us there are not something they should have to deal with.
"Cal, there are several places in the galaxy you never want to visit. Dathomir is one of them. We don't want you to be put in danger." I explain.
"We can handle it, (Y/N)." Ahsoka tries to convince me.
Anakin places his hand on Ahsoka's shoulder. She exhales a deep breath as she calms herself down a little.
"We know you can handle it, Snips, but that doesn't mean you should go." Anakin says.
"You're right. Sorry, Master." She apologises.
"Don't be sorry, Ahsoka." I say. "I promise you'll get to come on more missions after this."
We say a quick goodbye to our Padawan's before meeting Obi Wan in the docking bay. Much to my enjoyment, he chose a ship with co-pilot capabilities.
For once, we may actually land a ship properly on a mission rather than relying on Anakin to crash it.
We waste no time taking off and starting the journey to Dathomir. As soon as we leave the atmosphere of Coruscant, we go into hyperspace.
The hours taken to reach the destination are spent going over tactics on how to find this creature and discussing with Obi Wan how he managed to kill Darth Maul. There's no better way to learn about these types of things than by hearing it from someone with experience.
When we finally come out of hyperspace, I am unnerved by what I see. Dathomir is as menacing from space as I'm sure it will be on the surface. It is covered in vibrant shades of blood red created by the light of the red sun. The red almost acts as a warning for the darkness that lies within.
The very appearance of it radiates the same feelings as a bloodcurdling nightmare.
We slowly descend into the chilling planet. As we fly, a series of stone buildings comes into range of our vision.
"There's the village." Anakin points out.
We land the ship on a small piece of clear land before the village. This place is desolate. I have no doubt there are hundreds of Zabrak men lurking within the unstable structures, yet it feels completely abandoned.
"Be on guard." Obi Wan warns. "These men are ferocious warriors, and they will show no mercy."
"Don't worry. I won't start anything." I assure him.
Obi Wan and I avert our gaze to Anakin, each of us raising our eyebrows.
"What?" He asks defensively.
I exchange a "this is going to end well" glance with Obi Wan.
As we continue to walk, many of the Zabrak men begin to cluster together around the top of some of the structures. We act as if we haven't noticed.
"Let me handle the negotiations." Obi Wan says.
Out of nowhere, eight of the men leap off of their positions and surround us in an intimidating circle. We huddle together, each igniting our blue lightsabers for protection.
They begin to attack us and we have no choice but to fight.
"So much for not starting something." Obi Wan sighs.
"Hey, don't look at me." Anakin replies.
I can't help but laugh a little at this.
They begin to run at us from all directions. I use my lightsaber to block their attacks and use the force as my ally. Nobody has to get hurt.
"Don't harm them!" I say.
"Don't tell us. Tell them." Anakin retorts.
The fight continues. We use defences against their offences, not willing to cause harm. Anakin suddenly stops his fighting and jumps up to fight what looks like a well-respected man within the village.
Although I should be focusing on the battle on the ground, I can't help but watch what is happening above me. They fight momentarily before Anakin gains the upper hand. He gets him in a choke hold and places his lightsaber before his neck.
"Back off!" Anakin demands.
The men do just this, and back away from Obi Wan and I.
Talk about aggressive negotiations.
"We are not here to fight you. We're here for information." Anakin adds.
I deactivate my lightsaber and clip it back to my belt before taking a slight step forward. I put my hands up to prove I am not a threat to these men.
"A man from your village murdered two Jedi." I say bluntly. "We need to find him."
"What makes you think he is one of ours?" The man Anakin is holding asks.
"The Jedi Council knows he's from this village. We have seen him." Obi Wan explains.
The Zabrak pauses momentarily, as if weighing out his options. I hate that even in situations like these, we Jedi always seem to turn to a violent approach.
"Mother Talzin should know of his whereabouts. One of her women took him as a mate." The man adds.
"I apologise for the intrusion then." Obi Wan says. "Anakin, kindly release him, please."
Anakin deactivates his lightsaber and moves away from the man. In true Anakin fashion, he gives the man a two finger salute before jumping back down to our level.
"Not exactly subtle." I mutter to Anakin when he reaches me.
He simply shrugs in response.
As we walk away, the sound of the men picking up their weapons is audible. I prepare to defend myself again, but am relieved when the leader orders for them to let us go.
We waste no time getting inside the ship and firing up the engines. Anakin and I fly it off the ground while Obi Wan stands behind our seats. Once we are in the air, questions surrounding where we are headed begin to surface.
"Who is this Mother Talzin?" Anakin asks.
"She's the leader of the Nightsisters. They're an ancient order of witches residing here on Dathomir. They're known for using the dark side of the force, which is part of the reason why darkness is so prevalent here." I explain.
Anakin and Obi Wan each raise an eyebrow at me. It seems my vast knowledge on the topic has surprised them both. I can't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.
"What? I like to research in my spare time." I shrug.
"Well, great. We have warrior-like men and force-wielding witches." Anakin starts.
"Don't forget rancors." I add.
Anakin's face turns a slightly paler shade. It seems that while worrying about witches and Zabrak's, they forgot about one of the biggest dangers on the planet.
"This place is all kinds of fun." Anakin complains.
"I'm glad you think so." Obi Wan jokes.
We scan ahead as we attempt to make out where we need to go. I do know the environment preferred by the Nightsisters. How to get there is another question.
"Well, you're the Dathomir expert, (Y/N). Any idea where we need to go?" Anakin asks.
"As a matter of fact, I do. The Nightsisters reside in the swamp region of the planet. If we find a swamp, we essentially find them."
"Shouldn't be a problem." Obi Wan states.
We fly around for a little longer until we reach an area that could be described as nothing other than a swamp. Once we have landed, Obi Wan proceeds to the door while Anakin and I shut off the engines.
"Based on what I've heard of Mother Talzin, I do not expect us to be welcome here." I say, loud enough for both of them to hear.
"You never know." Anakin chuckles. "I tend to be popular with the ladies."
He flips his lightsaber in his hand and offers me a playful wink. I can feel my cheeks burning with many different emotions: jealousy...anger...desire. I shake my head slightly to rid myself of these thoughts.
Obi Wan's gaze shifts between Anakin and I momentarily and raises an eyebrow.
"Too popular." Obi Wan sighs.
At this stage, I am almost certain Obi Wan is aware of our not-so-secret romance.
We walk out of the ship single file, Obi Wan in front, Anakin in the middle, and myself trailing behind.
I have read all about the characteristics of this swamp and the dark energy it has, yet I do not feel quite prepared for the complete unease I feel as we draw farther and farther from the ship. All there is for miles is thorny trees, fog and dirty water, each made more unnerving with the presence of the red sun.
As we continue, various presences begin to surround us. These are darker than the men from earlier. These are Nightsisters.
"We've got company." Obi Wan warns.
Nightsisters jump down from the highest points of the thorny trees and point their glowing bows and swords at us. We raise our hands in surrender and they collect our lightsabers.
"Jedi, come with us." One of the sisters from behind says.
They lead us to their secluded stone fortress. The darkness radiating from the place is overwhelming. We are taken through various gloomy corridors until we are met with the presence of another, darker Nightsister.
She is seated at the end of a table with a ball of energy placed before her. Her red clothing is far more exquisite than that of the others. She is the one with the most power here– I can sense it.
We are forcefully seated at the table with her.
Anakin reaches for my hand under the table. In moments like these, Anakin likes to be as close to me as possible so he knows I am safe. The contact is soothing, and manages to calm my mind in this stressful situation.
"Master Kenobi." She sneers.
"Mother Talzin," Obi Wan greets her confidently, "thank you for your hospitality."
She stands from her original position. The upward reflection of the light coming from the ball before her makes her appearance more intimidating.
"I believe you have a question for me." She says.
"Yes, you're right." Obi Wan says. "We've had reports of a Dathomiri male on the loose. He's already killed two Jedi. Perhaps you know who he is?"
"Master Jedi, we have no control over the males. Our clan has been in exile for years." She lies.
If I know anything about Mother Talzin from what I have studied over the years, it's that she can be incredibly deceitful. Her words are false.
"Don't play innocent with me, Mother. Everyone in the galaxy knows females are dominant on this planet. I do not believe anything happens here without your clan knowing about it." Obi Wan retaliates.
"To think that the Jedi collects their facts from mere rumours." Mother Talzin says.
I can feel the rage beginning to radiate from Anakin. The darkness of this planet is messing with his emotions, making them far stronger than they normally would be.
"Rumours?" Anakin raises his voice, anger filling him. "You call two dead Jedi rumours?"
He lets go of my hand and stands out of his seat, readying to attack her if need be. I stand up beside him and place a calming hand on his arm.
"Remember your promise." I say through our unexplained connection.
He exhales a deep breath and rests his arms on the table, letting go of his anger.
"This thing...this animal is extremely dangerous. If you have any information about his whereabouts, you must tell us." Obi Wan demands.
Mother Talzin places her hands above the energy ball before her and uses the magick the Nightsisters are known for. Shadows fill the room as she channels the dark side.
"Savage." She declares. "Savage Opress."
The face of the disgusting creature appears on the ball. He looks very similar to the nightbrothers we saw in the village, only far larger.
"Mother?" Obi Wan asks.
"He is on Toydaria." She states.
Anakin shudders at the mention of Toydaria. The hideous memory of Watto undoubtedly crossing his mind. The filthy child slaver on Tatooine. My blood boils as I remember the pain he put Anakin through, but this subsides as I am reminded of how close I came to killing him that day. That anger nearly led me down an irredeemable path.
I exchange a glance with Anakin, hoping that he will be able to seek some sort of comfort by simply looking in my eyes.
"Thank you." Obi Wan says to Mother Talzin.
He hurries out of the room. Anakin and I stand together for a moment before either of us thinks of leaving.
"After you, m'lady." Anakin says, gesturing for me to leave.
I roll my eyes but hurry out of the room. Anakin is as protective as they come, and there is no way he was going to let me out of his sight while we're in the Nightsisters fortress.
It looks like we're going to Toydaria.