Five months had passed since Anakin's breakdown in the lower meditation chamber. Five months since I'd made him a promise I fully intended to keep. Five months of training, growing, and preparing for what was to come.
I was ten years old now, my birthday had come and gone a few weeks ago with little fanfare. Just another rotation around Coruscant's sun, another year closer to the trials that would define us all.
The meditation gardens had become our sanctuary. Away from the prying eyes of other younglings and the constant scrutiny of the Masters, the five of us could simply be ourselves.
I sat cross-legged beneath one of the ancient meditation trees, its branches spreading wide overhead like protective arms. Anakin was to my left, tinkering with a small holocron projector he'd been working on. Seris sat to my right, her silver eyes closed in meditation, her platinum hair catching the afternoon light. Derren and Barriss sat across from us, engaged in quiet conversation about Force healing techniques.
"Hey Cain, what are you thinking about?" Anakin asked, looking up from his project.
I opened my eyes and smiled. "Honestly? I'm thinking about what type of path I'm going to focus on when I become a Jedi Knight."
Derren chuckled, his deep voice warm with amusement. "Shouldn't you be worried about becoming a Padawan first and having a Master?"
"With how talented and strong Cain is, that's not going to be an issue," Anakin said confidently. "I bet all the Masters, even some from the Council, will want to pick you."
"I agree with Anakin," Barriss added softly. "But you're not wrong to have an ideal path that you want to follow, Cain. Do you have a general idea of what appeals to you?"
I nodded. "I do. I want to focus on the Jedi Sentinel path. Mainly as a Jedi Shadow."
"That's a hard but nice path," Derren said thoughtfully. Then he looked at Seris with a mischievous grin. "I want to follow the same path or be a Jedi Investigator." He paused. "What about you, ice princess? What path do you want to follow? Probably a Jedi Consular, right? Just like the rest of your family?"
Seris's eyes snapped open, and in one fluid motion, she elbowed Derren in his side.
"Oww! Why do you always use violence on me?" Derren said, kneeling on the ground and holding his side.
Seris, in her calm, reserved tone, spoke. "It's not violence. It's discipline for your smart mouth."
Then she paused, her expression softening slightly. "Derren is correct, though. I want to take the path of the Jedi Consular. Mainly focusing as a Jedi Shadow or Jedi Watchman."
Barriss smiled. "Wow, that's amazing that you three are considering the same path. I want to be a healer. Since I specialize in Force healing, I've also been researching the Jedi Sage path. Only three Jedi currently hold that position in the Order."
Anakin looked confused. "I haven't heard of those other paths. What are they?"
Seris and I both sighed, rubbing the bridges of our noses in unison.
"We literally went over all this in class for the last three months," I said, already knowing the answer. "Did you zone out and just focus on the Jedi Guardian?"
Anakin smirked. "Not my fault I knew the Guardian fit me best when I learned about it. I wanted to be a Jedi Guardian."
I looked at Seris. "Can you please explain the other paths to him? You're good at this stuff."
Seris's ears twitched, and she nodded with what might have been pleasure. "Of course, Cain. That's no problem."
"Now Anakin," she began, her voice taking on a teaching quality, "I will keep it short and brief. You remember the three main classes a Jedi can take?"
"Yes," Anakin said. "A Jedi Guardian, Jedi Sentinel, and a Jedi Consular. Guardians specialize in roles like the Jedi Ace, pilot, Jedi Peacekeeper for law enforcement, Exotic Weapons Specialist using non-lightsaber weapons, or Lightsaber Instructor. While the Consular focuses on Force abilities and techniques, including diplomacy, research, and healing. And the Sentinels can take paths specializing in investigative work, security, recruitment, technology, and even espionage."
He said it all smugly, clearly proud of himself.
Seris, with a calm expression, said, "Good, Anakin. You can read a holonet description of the roles for the public."
The mocking tone in her voice made me and the others break out into laughter.
"Haha! She got you there, Anakin," Derren said between laughs.
"Haha. Fine, Seris, you're the smartest person here," Anakin conceded. "I answered the question. Can you please explain the paths already?"
Seris had a small, cute smile on her face. After looking at me for a moment, her silver eyes meeting my golden ones, she flicked a loose strand of her platinum hair behind her ear and spoke.
"Okay, so I will get straight to the point. Jedi Shadows are essentially dark side hunters. Their mission is to track down dark side or Sith relics, corrupted artifacts, cults, or hidden Sith disciples. They work in secrecy, keeping their missions hidden from the Republic and other Jedi besides the Council."
"Sounds cool in a dark, mysterious way," Anakin said.
"It is," I agreed. "I like it because it gives you the most freedom. You can see the galaxy and come and go from any planet or the Temple as well."
Which was exactly what I needed to help further my future plans. The financial independence I'd built through my Dawnstar novels was one thing, but I needed operational freedom too. The Shadow path would give me that.
"Wait. You get that much freedom? And you can come and go as you please?" Anakin said, somewhat surprised.
"Yes," Seris confirmed. "But hunting or stopping the spread of the dark side is not their only job. Sometimes they go undercover long-term in these cults or various organizations. They are permitted to study dark side techniques. But they are watched carefully because falling or losing oneself is at a higher risk."
I nodded in agreement. It was a perfect job for the Chosen One, actually. If I could get Anakin to train as both a Guardian and a Shadow, then I believed he would become the Chosen One he should have been. Derren and Seris wanting to be Shadows would be helpful to my plans as well.
Especially Derren. The kid was a true prodigy. He was perfect for the hardest mission I would ever ask anyone to do. But if he could do it, then the galaxy would be closer to being saved in Anakin's time. I wanted to make sure that if Luke and Leia were born, they could grow up in the new golden age of the Jedi Order and the galaxy.
"That's crazy amazing," Anakin said. Then he paused mid-sentence, his expression shifting to something more vulnerable. "I would be able to..."
He stopped his thought, but I knew what he meant. He wanted to go see his mother. I wouldn't blame him.
I placed a hand on his back. "I know, Anakin. You don't have to say it, but I think we all get it." I gestured to the others.
Barriss and Derren nodded with understanding smiles. Seris, with her elegant, calm face, simply nodded.
Anakin smiled. "Thanks, guys. Go on, Seris. I want to hear the rest."
Seris showed a brief smile. "Of course. Now, Jedi Investigators, or Jedi Detectives, are a subgroup of Sentinels. They rely on their intuition and connection to the Force to perform detective work, mainly preventing crimes. It's an extension of the Order's traditional role as guardians and peacekeepers. Now, a Jedi Sage is a little different."
"How so?" Anakin asked.
"Well, technically Master Yoda is one. It's just a fancy title meaning a powerful Jedi who manipulates telekinesis, heals with the Force, and utilizes foresight. Someone who has achieved a high connection with the Force."
"Oh, okay. I understand now. Man, these paths are so interesting. I might rethink which one I will take," Anakin said thoughtfully.
I smiled. "Well, Anakin, besides Barriss, it would be nice if all of us were Jedi Shadows. Not to mention you're allowed to switch between paths. There's no rule you can't change later on. It's just difficult to do because unless that discipline mirrors your current one, it will take decades to master just one. So unless you have the lifespan of me and Seris, that will be difficult. Even for the Chosen One."
"Oh, I didn't know that," Anakin said. "Wait, what do you mean by yours and Seris's lifespan?"
The group looked at Anakin with surprise.
"Anakin, you know Cain and Seris are Sephi, right?" Barriss asked gently.
"Oh, I don't know much about their race. Is that why they have these long ears?"
Seris nodded. "Yes. I come from a long line of Sephi and Echani hybrids, but my main lineage is Sephi. I just inherited the hair and eye color. We can live between 200 to 400 years old. Cain, is half Sephi. That's why his ears aren't as pointy as mine, but his lifespan will still be long. Since you and him have nearly the same potential, he might life just as long as a full Sephi , maybe a little longer."
"Wow," Anakin said, his blue eyes wide. "I can't imagine living that long. But that gives you a lot of time to do what you want."
True. But that was also the problem with long-lived species. They lived so long that complacency became a significant issue. They viewed other species not as long-lived as them to be children. The same problems didn't normally recur in their civilizations, but advancement pretty much stopped, and so did increasing the number of their population. Well, that depended more on the species.
I nodded. "Yeah, I guess me and Seris will be stuck with each other for a few hundred years. Sorry if I annoy you, Seris." I said it with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.
Seris's ears twitched, and her calm demeanor broke somewhat. "You don't annoy me, Cain. You're actually pretty nice to be around. So I wouldn't mind being around you for a few hundred years."
She said it flustered, her cheeks coloring slightly. Anakin and Derren looked at each other with a knowing nod.
Barriss smiled. "Aww, Seris, you do have a soft side. It just so happens that it's Cain." She giggled.
"Barriss, not you too? It's bad enough when Derren does it," Seris said, her cheeks turning redder.
I felt warmth spread through my chest. Despite everything—the weight of foreknowledge, the threats looming on the horizon, the burden of trying to save the galaxy—moments like this made it all worthwhile.
We were friends. We were family. And whatever came next, we would face it together.
One day above the Great Training Ring, several Jedi Masters observed Cain and other Initiates in the middle of sparring sessions. Each pair rotated in a seamless display of discipline, precision, and unity.
Cain and Anakin sparred with the Darth Maul programs Anakin had developed. The two individuals fought better than most in their age group and some who were older. Their movements were fluid, coordinated, almost prescient in their timing.
Seris and Derren gave each other no room to take advantage of in their match. They fought with great skill and precision, their training sabers creating patterns of blue light that seemed almost choreographed.
Master Fay stood quietly, arms folded, her gray eyes glowing faintly as she observed.
Master Mace Windu stood beside her, his expression thoughtful. "Cain and Skywalker keep improving. It's hard to ignore, especially when they grow, so do those around them."
Master Plo Koon's visor reflected the movement from the ring below. "Yes, the two are very gifted, and they bring out the best in others as well."
Master Shaak Ti, curious but wary, added, "Outside of their training and skills, their conduct is questionable. They question our rules and break them, but in creative ways. Like they're trying to tell us something. Or they are just breaking the rules for their own fun."
Fay's voice was calm but firm. "They are not rebels. I believe they are not afraid to stand up for what they think is right. From helping a friend who misses their home and family, to guiding others who were losing their way. They show others there is more than one way to do things."
Master Luminara Unduli entered silently and glanced down at the sparring group. Her expression was unreadable, but she was focused on Barriss. That youngling's connection to the Force has improved so much. It's like I'm looking at Master Yoda sometimes.
Then Yoda spoke, his ancient voice carrying weight. "Ready they are for the next step. Padawan trials they will take."
Windu's brow furrowed. "Are you sure, Master Yoda? I understand Cain, Seris, and Derren. Barriss has shown significant improvement as well. I believe she can take the trial. But Skywalker has barely been an initiate for a whole year."
Yoda tapped his gimer stick against the floor. "Skywalker was given a chance to advance to a Padawan a few months ago. But turn it down, he did. 'Still more to learn,' he said. More learning he did especially after that incident. Ready he is."
Windu paused, looking at Anakin, then to Cain, still sparring and dominating the training droids that looked like Maul. "What about youngling Cain? With his skills and abilities, why wasn't he offered the same choice?"
Plo Koon spoke up. "Actually, Master Windu, they both were. You were away on a mission around that time, so it wasn't brought to your attention since Cain turned it down as well."
"He turned down becoming a Padawan as well?" Windu asked, surprise evident in his voice.
Plo nodded. "Yes. He said he still had much to do helping the other younglings grow. He said when Anakin and his friends felt ready, then he would take his Padawan trials. So Master Yoda respected his decision."
"I see. That is quite unusual." Windu's expression was thoughtful. "What is that youngling thinking?"
Fay kept her eyes directly on Cain the entire time, a small smile playing at her lips. She knew. She understood what Cain was doing, building something greater than himself, creating bonds that would endure whatever trials lay ahead.
Below, Cain executed a perfect Makashi riposte against the Maul droid, his movements economical and precise. Anakin followed up with an aggressive Ataru leap, his raw power channeled with increasing control.
They were ready. All five of them.
The question was: was the galaxy ready for them?
I sat beneath the meditation tree in the Temple gardens, the moonlight of Coruscant shining through the branches onto me. I began to float while meditating, my mind at ease as I reached out into the Force.
I was then surrounded by the black void, and the Force lights of the Force users around me appeared.
Over the years, I'd noticed something strange. Anakin's light and mine were becoming enveloped by our Force lights, as if we were growing into something larger than ourselves, our potential expanding beyond normal boundaries.
I noticed other things too. Like when two of the three crimson Force lights in the far distance disappeared.
I knew what that meant. Darth Tenebrous and Darth Plagueis were dead.
The crazier part was that Sidious's light got a little bigger, and the lightning surrounding it became more intense. More dangerous. More focused.
I never tried to stare too long or too deep at it, not knowing if he would see back at me like Master Fay could. That was a risk I couldn't afford to take.
I'd learned to see flickering specks of lights with shadowy figures next to them. I took it as those who either had a weak connection to the Force, from disconnecting from it, or they hadn't completely awakened their abilities yet.
Tonight, I reached deeper into the void to find one person specifically. Maul.
I found him, but it was weird. His light was flickering like he was close to death. The light was crimson but had small traces of yellow and green, like mist mixed in.
I noticed a small trail of green mist, a faint line reaching deeper into the void. Curious, I followed it.
That's when I saw something I'd never seen before. Not a flickering light, but a sphere of green mist. It was huge. I couldn't see anything in it, couldn't comprehend its nature or purpose.
Then Mother Talzin appeared in the center of the green mist. She opened her eyes and looked directly at me.
"Well, what do we have here?" she said, her ancient-sounding voice echoing through the void.
"You can see me?" I asked, surprised.
"Of course I can see you, child. In this black void where I can barely see anything most of the time, you shine bright like a golden star it would harder not to notice you. That only goes to show how powerful you are in the Force. But that can also be a bad thing here."
I looked at her with confusion. "What do you mean?"
She paused, her eyes moving like she was looking at something in the black void beyond the lights. Something I couldn't see yet.
"There are things out here that have existed long before your Order, before the galaxy could comprehend. They twist and bend logic and those around them like toys. They sleep in a void like this. And your bright light in the Force that act's like a blackhole, will be like a beacon that wakes them from their long slumber and pulls them to you."
I understood what she meant, but I wondered what laid dormant here. I turned my head to look past Talzin, deeper into the abyss.
"I warn you now, child. I don't know who you are, but you shouldn't look too deep into the abyss, or it will look back," she said, her voice carrying genuine concern.
But I couldn't help myself. As I stared deep into the void past the lights, I felt something deep in my spirit. The Force around me trembled like it was in fear.
Then I saw something. Eyes. Horrible, putrid eyes appeared in the darkness. They were so devoid of light that they made the black void look bright by comparison. Dark nightmarish tendrils slowly expanded underneath the eyes, writhing like living shadows.
Then I saw them. Its teeth. Sharp, thin, and pointy, all around its mouth in the shape of a deranged smile.
Every second I stared, I felt like I was going to go insane, but I couldn't look away. The horror was too vast, too incomprehensible. It was like staring into the heart of entropy itself, into the void that existed before creation and would exist after everything ended.
Is that Abeloth? I thought desperately. How the hell did Luke & Krayt face that thing? How can anyone just look at that thing without going mad?
The entity's presence pressed against my mind like a physical weight. I felt my sanity beginning to fray at the edges, my sense of self starting to dissolve in the face of something so fundamentally wrong that reality itself seemed to reject it.
"That's enough, child," Talzin said firmly.
She shielded me in her green mist, and the horror was suddenly cut off from my view. She pressed a finger to my forehead. The next thing I knew, I fell to my meditation mat.
I was covered in sweat, and my body was trembling violently. My heart hammered in my chest like it was trying to escape. My breath came in short, sharp gasps.
Was that Abeloth? The question echoed in my mind. How can anyone possibly stand against something like that?
I lay there on the mat, staring up at the branches of the meditation tree, trying to process what I'd just experienced. The moonlight filtered through the leaves, peaceful and serene, a stark contrast to the cosmic horror I'd just witnessed.
All this time, I'd been focused on preventing Anakin's fall. stopping Sidious. preparing for the Clone Wars and the Yuuzhan Vong invasion. But that... that was something else entirely.
This was a threat that existed beyond the scope of Sith and Jedi, beyond the petty conflicts of the Republic and Separatists. This was something ancient and terrible, something that could unmake reality itself if it ever fully awakened.
And my light, my bright, golden light in the Force, was a beacon that could wake it. I closed my eyes and took a deep, shuddering breath.
One problem at a time, I told myself. First, save Anakin. Stop Sidious. Stop the Clone Wars. Then worry about the cosmic horror sleeping in the void. But even as I thought it, I knew the truth.
Everything was connected. The fall of the Jedi, the rise of the Empire, the imbalance in the Force, it was all part of a larger pattern. And at the center of that pattern, sleeping in the deepest darkness, was something that made even the Sith look like children playing with matches.
I had to get stronger. We all did. Because the threats we faced weren't just political or military. They were existential. They were cosmic. And if we weren't ready when they came, there would be nothing left to save.
I pushed myself up from the mat, my body still trembling but my resolve hardening. The meditation gardens were quiet around me, peaceful in the Coruscant night. But I knew the truth now. I'd seen what lurked in the deepest darkness. And I would do whatever it took to make sure it stayed there.