Brighthome

(Vader POV)

I finish with my 'healing'. The blaster wound is now fully healed. It wasn't anything dangerous and the armour took almost 99% of the blast. I will have to get used to this soon. I will use Force healing to heal my lungs primarily. There can be no problems with my breathing during a fight. I need everything to work 100% and not a bit less. 

I use Force Revitalize and revitalize my tired muscles using the Force energy. I'm getting better at this. Now that I'm finished, I go around the base of these thieves and take anything that I might use for later. Apart from credits, there is nothing, however. So I board my ship and then leave Gattering.

[Picture]

I need to find a Jedi now. The best way to find a Jedi, that has survived Order 66, is to search for one that had either left the order before their purge or had taken the Barash vow. And the best and quickest way to find such a Jedi is to go to the Jedi outpost in the Mid Rim, Brighthome. So that's where I go now. 

.

After flying through space, I finally reached Brighthome after three days. But I am not welcome here. 

[Unidentified vessel ... this is restricted space.], the voice says over the coms. There are four ARC-170 piloted by clone troopers, that are flying towards my position. 

[Your presence is unauthorized. Change course immediately or you will be fired upon.], the voice says.

{I have the docking codes for this station, Lord Vader. I can transmit them on your order.}, my droid co-pilot tells me. I however don't answer him and think about this closely. This again allows me to fight. To fight and grow more proficient in the use of the Force. So I don't answer and listen to the coms.

[There will be no second warning.], the pilot says. 

{Lord Vader?}

I am still not answering either of them. I want to wait and see what happens. I want them to attack me or ... maybe I want to attack them. Yes, that makes more sense. There is this drive that I have gained to grow and this challenge is something that I want to experience. 

{I am detecting that the arc fighters have engaged weapons tracking systems. Master, with your permission I can transmit our authorization code and end this situation immediately.}, my co-pilot droid says, but I decline his offer. 

"No. Activate weapons systems.", I say and get into fight mode. I have always been a monster in a jet fighter. And these troopers don't understand what they're in for. I fire tens of blasts at them and fly between two of them, which explode right away. 

*BOOOM* *BOOOM*

They start to fire at me as well, but I have no trouble dodging all of the blasts. It feels like I was made for this. It is second nature to do this and there is no hesitation at all in my movements. 

{With your permission, Lord Vader. I can activate the rear cannons and fire on our pursuers.}

"There is no need. I know where they are. I can sense them, the longer this goes on. I can sense their fear, their pain ... their end."

I shoot through the blaster fire and manage to turn the ship around and have them in front of me. Without any hesitation, I fire at them and destroy the last two ARC-170's immediately. After this, I steer the ship towards the hangar in order to dock. 

.

I exit the ship and arrive at the sealed doors. They believe that these pathetic doors will hold me. They thought wrong. I use the Force and grab them. Slowly and with precision, I begin to crush them more and more. 

*KRRNK*

I can hear their voices behind the door. They are preparing themselves for my entry. I wonder what they think of who I am. It doesn't matter. 

*SMASSSH*

I break the door of its hinges and throw them behind me. As soon as that happens the troopers begin attacking me. 

"Take him down!"

*PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* *PEW* 

I move my hand and push two troopers to the side. My other hand is occupied with blocking blaster fire. I use Force push as much as I can and try to dodge, but that doesn't work very well. I can feel that I am overwhelmed as these are clone troopers and are far better trained than the thieves from Gattering. 

I swipe blasts away but get hit in my shoulder and then another one in my thigh. Using Force telekinesis, I grab a metal box and hide behind it for a moment to breathe. There is quite a bit of damage done to the armour and my shoulder is also affected. 

"Keep the pressure on! Concentrate your fire! We've got him!", the troopers scream and increase their firing speed. They slowly advance and try to surround me. But I don't let that happen and Force push the metal box towards a group of them, knocking them down and reducing their numbers. 

I see a Lightsaber behind the troops and for a moment think about grabbing it and using it here. But I discard that. I am here to push myself and to go through pain and death in order to grow. This is not Jedi training. 

I put both of my hands out in front of me and focused on creating a barrier around me that shields me from the fire. But the shield is too thin and three blasts get through hitting me and doing more damage to my suit and my body. I don't stop doing that though. I continue to do that and after over a minute, I manage to create something of a Force barrier. But I need more training. 

However, this is enough for now. I then use the Force and Force Choke all seven of the troopers that are here at the moment. I can't do that to all of them just yet and only three are affected. 

"AARRH"

"No Digs!"

"He's using the Force! Kill him!"

After the three are dead, I do the same to the other four and finally am alone. I reach the station's archives and ask my co-pilot droid to search through them. 

{I have used the codes you provided to access the way station's archives, Lord Vader. What information do you seek?}

"Does the archive contain a record of all Jedi assignments before the execution of Order 66?", I ask.

{Yes. A backup from the primary records at the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.}

"I require data on any Jedi who took the Barash Vow prior to the purge.", I say.

{The Barash Vow. Clarify your need for this information.}, the droid says and would make me raise my eyebrow if I had any. 

"I do not expect to be questioned. I expect to be obeyed."

{As long as I serve you, I will do both. If I ask a question it is because I believe the answer will enhance my service. Potential responses to your query include over fourteen thousand Jedi since the founding of the order. I can recite all available data on these Jedi. It will take several months. Or ... you could clarify. Either is acceptable to me.}, the droid says making things clear. 

"Hm. Palpatine ordered me to take the Kyber Crystal for my Lightsaber from a Jedi I have defeated in combat. Because of the purge, that task has become difficult. I require a living Jedi. Finding a Barash-Taker seems the easiest route, if one exists. 

Any Jedi pursuing Barash has sworn to refrain from activities related to the order. Complete disengagement from anything but the force. It is a type of penance. While a Barash-Taker would have felt the purge, they would not have allowed themselves to respond to it, or take action of any kind.", I explain in great detail. 

{Which means they may not have gone into hiding after Order 66. I understand, Lord Vader. Thank you. Resuming search protoc--

Lord Vader! Explosive device detected! Take cove ... hmm?}, the droid quickly informs me of something that I already know. A grenade flies into the room, right in front of me and is just about to explode. But before that happens, I use the Force and press it together, stopping it from exploding. 

[Picture]

{The explosive device did not explode.}

"Yes. I ... nngh ... I am ... aware.", I say under the straining task. Holding this explosive together and using enough pressure to stop it from exploding is a hard task. But I don't allow myself to fail. I will stop this and have to watch out for those who have thrown the device in the first place. 

"Get down on your knees. You're coming with us.", one of the two Stormtroopers says. 

"Coming with us? Just shoot him, Ding!", the second one says. 

"I have a better idea. We know what Jedi are capable of. They're powerful, but they have limits. There's no way he can do anything to us while he's keeping that grenade from exploding. We'll get him in restraints, and then he's ours."

"And then what?"

"And then we'll take him back to the Emperor, offer him up like a prize. Who knows what he'll give us if we bring him a Jedi traitor? No more retirement. Red helmets for sure."

.

I listen as the two troopers discuss what to do with me and assume that this task takes everything out of me. And while that was true a moment ago. Now, I am already getting used to this and am ready to retaliate against them. They should have just fired and tried to kill me when they had the chance. But that is too bad for them. That window is now gone. 

"Troopers. You have made a mistake.", I say. 

"Oh yeah? What's that?"

"I am not a Jedi ...", I say and Force Choke them until their necks break, "And I have no limits."

After they're dead, I concentrate on the explosive again. I can feel the strain but I focus not to lose this fight. I don't care how small it seems, this is hard but it will allow me to grow. 

"Have you completed your search?", I ask the droid.

{I have it, Master. Search complete.}, the droid says and we both make our way back to my ship. I keep the explosive in the room and walk quickly. The further away I walk, the harder it is to control this. But that doesn't matter. What matters now is that I leave. The pressure that has built up because of my interference, will cause it to blow the entire station up.

"Who?"

{It is unlikely you have encountered him before. He has been on his pilgrimage since before you entered the Jedi temple.}, the droid answers me. 

"Who?", I ask again. 

{He is unique, even for a Jedi. His name is Kirak Infil'a. It has been many years since he has been active in Jedi affairs. But the records show that even when he was, he did not take part in diplomacy, training or research. Apparently, Master Infil'a had precisely one purpose within the order. To fight.}, the droid says and fills me in. 

"Interesting.", I say and think about what that means. It means that I will get my next challenge and a big hurdle on my way to the top. I don't care for the Jedi anymore. If I see one, I will kill him and this Master Kirak Infil'a should be a formidable Force user and fighter. I am looking forward to this fight. 

"Where is he located according go the archives?", I ask as we finally make it to the ship. 

{The data suggests that he is located in the Mid-Rim. River Moon of Al'doleem, Master.}

"Very well then.", I say and lose control over the explosive. 

*KKRAABOOOOOM*

I start the ship and fly out of the former Jedi base towards River Moon of Al'doleem.