(I like drama and quick resolution. Just thought I'd mention it.
Also, I've thought of another story I want to make, so check it out when it's posted.)
Following Miala's successful capture of her target, a few days had passed by as Ben pursued his own chosen victim. The girls targets had already been delivered to the bondsman and they'd received their pay, meaning they had their own money, which was a foreign concept given their previous enslavement and being young children before that.
Except for light exercise and Force training, there was a lot of downtime while travelling through hyperspace.
During such a moment, where they were all sitting and playing some holochess, Maila being the curious girl that she is decided to ask. "Master, can I ask you something?"
Ben was currently staring at the game in progress, being the one currently playing against Vette. "Sure, Maila. What's up?"
"What was your life like before you saved us?" She asked, the question being one that had played on her and her sisters minds for a while.
"Well, like I've told you, I fell into a portal and ended up in the wilderness on Zygerria where I stayed for-" He began explaining, but Maila began shaking her head.
"I mean before that Master." She told him. He had already told them some of what lead to his meeting them, like falling through a portal, but she wanted to know about before that.
"Ahh!" Ben expressed his understanding with a nod, moving one of his pieces. "Before that, I lived with my family. But, I was travelling around at the time I was brought to Zygerria."
"You have family, Master?" Thalia asked from the side. They hadn't heard much on this matter, only knowing that he had someone he wants to return to.
Nodding, Ben simply said. "Adoptive, but yes. I miss them very much." His tone was flat, but the three girls could tell how much it hurt him being away from them, something they understood.
"I'm sorry Master..." Maila said sympathetically, but that also wasn't what she was asking. "But Master, I was meaning to ask... What did you do? You told us you're not much older than us, but your so strong, skilled and smart! But, you've never said why you push yourself to get even better."
Hearing her real question, Ben froze for a moment, memories of his original life flashing in his mind. It was just a moment, but all the girls saw it and wondered what caused it, but felt a shift in the Force that warned them not to say anything.
A long silence ensued, during which Ben's eyes slowly narrowed while staring at the Holo-table, a deep hatred in his eyes, anger and a hint of remorse mixed within.
When he finally spoke, he did so almost hesitantly. "Because it's all I've known to do... To grow, train and kill... I used to have another family, in a sense, and they were once part of my cause..." His hand tightened into a fist, his knuckles crackling as they turned white.
The air turned thick and stale with his remembrance, his eyes never leaving the game, almost like he saw something that wasn't there. Around his body, a thick miasma formed. A pure representation of the Dark Side, his darkness radiating from his body and growing thicker.
Suddenly, Ben heard screaming and was immediately broken from his trance. His head spun to the left in an instant, where he saw the girls had been covered in the black miasma that was coming from him.
Being covered by the miasma, the girls were all on the ground, clutching their heads in pain while they cried. They felt his hate and were feeling as though their minds, their spirits were being torn apart.
With a look of horror at what he was causing, Ben quickly pulled the miasma back into himself and sealing it away as he rushed to their sides.
Ben pulled the three girls into his embrace with wide eyes, using every bit of his power to heal them. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!!" He was shocked at what he'd unintentionally caused and was rebuking himself internally. 'Idiot!'
In his arms and still holding their heads, the girls were crying. "It hurts! The pain... The anger... The hatred!" Vette trembled, looking up at Ben with an anguished expression. "How can you feel... so much!?" Only the anguish she and her sisters were feeling, it wasn't for themselves, but for Ben.
They had felt all the negative emotions that were within the miasma that came from him, the emotions that he locked inside himself... And they were horrible. They never wanted to feel like that again, but this is what their beloved Master must have always felt and they had no idea.
Ben remained silent to her question, his mind in a chaotic mess that prevented him from responded. The girls felt his unstable mind and no longer cared for anymore questions, all the three of them could do, was hug Ben and cry on his behalf.
---
A few days passed and they had been rather tense. Ben blamed himself for losing control and hurting the other three. It tormented him while meditating, trying to understand why despite his wishes for any sentiment he held for his old life to be removed, it was still a part of him.
And most importantly, it had manifested through the Force. Even though he is immune to the sway of the Force, it appeared that the opposite was not true. The Force was susceptible to him instead and that was evidently dangerous given the scope of his ever increasing power.
After that incident, Ben felt it was his priority to tighten his own leash so to speak, and that was why he had thrown himself into meditation. The thought of his feelings towards his past being present plagued his mind the entire time.
*Knock*
There was a knock at the door to his room and then a gentle, timid voice spoke out. "Master... We've arrived."
"I'll be right out..." Ben responded emotionlessly as he could, but failing to hide hints of guilt and concern. Guilt for what he'd done to them and concern for his own issue.
The voice said nothing more and neither did Ben. He simply stood up from his kneeled seating position and equipped his Revan gear, before leaving his room and heading to the cockpit, where he watched as Maila landed the ship and then left after giving her a pat on her shoulder.
Maila turned around and watched with a sad expression as Ben left. Neither her, nor her sisters blamed Ben, they only felt sad that they couldn't help him.
Ben left the ship in the care of the girls care and went to find his target, and relieve his stress. He wasted no time and by bending the Force to his Will, it had no choice but to take him to the one he wanted.
That was the thing about the Force, it has its own kind of Will and was just about everywhere in the universe, or at least this universe, and that meant it knew everything. You just had to know how to ask or be powerful enough to demand, and the Force will show you the answer.
Making his way to his target, Ben was just walking through another run-down town, to another shitty bar for criminals to hide out in.
Not feeling up to being subtle, Ben kicked down the door and made his way inside while releasing his Intimidation in full, bloodlust spilled out from him and suffocated those inside.
The moment he entered, Ben spotted the target in an instant and Force pulled him into his grasp. "... You will serve my purposes..." Ben said with dark intonations to his meaning, but it would be only a moment before all would understand his true meaning, as his hand reached out and one of his Lightsabers flew into his hand, igniting into a red brilliance that promised only agonising pain.
- At the ship -
Back on the Ebon Hawk, the three Twi'lek girls were sitting in their room, talking about their concerns for Ben. They want to help him, but they don't know how. It had only been a few days, but everything felt different
"I miss sleeping with Master..." Maila muttered gloomily, a complete opposite of her usual happy self.
Sitting with her knees tucked, Thalia nodded her head, conveying that she felt the same. "Mm. I haven't been able to sleep without him." Looking at her, it was possible to see slight bags under her eyes, as every time she closes her eyes to sleep she has a nightmare. "I don't think Master is either..."
Listening to her sisters, Vette opened her mouth to say something. "Maybe we could-!!?"
""!!?""
Suddenly the three jumped up, frightened and feeling a familiar chill. One that shook them to their core only a few days ago, the Dark side. Only, it was different, as it was a feeling carried through the Force itself.
They felt that someone was in pain, being hurt for the sake of pain. This person's screams echoed into their ears and images appeared in their minds, terrible images of their Master doing horrific things.
It was as if the Force was trying to tell them something. Telling them to leave the ship, to seek out Ben and stop him from committing such atrocities.
However, it failed. The three of them would never believe that Ben would do these things without reason, and they could see that the person suffering was the same one that Ben was after.
All the visions did was make Vette and Maila uncomfortable from the violence, while Thalia warped them into more of a learning experience. Seeing that it had failed, the Force stopped showing them the visions and gave up in its attempt to stop Ben. All it could do was watch, leaving the girls to settle back down from the sudden disturbance.
- With Ben -
It took quite some time, but Ben eventually left the bar, in his wake was an unrecognisable corpse without a head and a building full of traumatised patrons. In all their lives, despite all they had seen and done, they never imagined that someone could be so... inhumanly cruel.
Everyone of them knew that the person Ben tortured to death was Wanted, some of them even wanted the reward on his head, but they never would have expected for something like this to happen. Ben arrived and without warning, just began brutally torturing him. No questions. No chance to plea. Only merciless, sickening sounds of flesh sizzling, bones breaking and screaming.
As for Ben, he felt nothing from it. He was not happy nor sad. He felt no relief from what he did and he felt no guilt. It was possible to call this a success, but only in the sense that he felt nothing at all for the time being and that in itself was a kind of relief.
[Torture increased to Lv-5]
He didn't care about the notification and simply made his way to the ship to leave. Staying any longer held no purpose.
...
When he got back to the Ebon Hawk, Ben was immediately caught in the arms of his apprentices. It was unexplained and silent. They just hugged him tightly, with their heads buried in his chest, but for some reason he couldn't bring himself to return the hug.
"What's the matter?" He asked with little to no emotion. Hurting them was a mistake brought upon by his emotions, so it was for the best if he restricted them when he's around those he cares about. At least, that's what he thought
The girls could understand his feelings, because they could never forgive themselves if they were to hurt one another, but it hurt more that Ben was distancing and closing himself off from them like he was.
"Please..." A mumble came from his chest, before the three of them raised their heads with tearful expressions and Vette said. "Please don't shut us out, Master... Please..."
"..." He remained silent for a moment. A painful moment in which he considered his options, before sighing. "You know it will only hurt you in the end... The closer we are, the more pain you will feel when I'm gone. It was my mistake allowing it to get this-"
"We don't care Master!" Thalia all but shouted. "You said we were family, please don't push us away!"
Ben looked at her, almost cursing himself for placing himself in their lives like he had. But, someone was still silent, so Ben looked at Maila and saw that she was just looking at him pleadingly.
As much as he hated the situation and wants to tell them it's for the best, he couldn't bring himself to say it. Unable to keep it up anymore, Ben wrapped his arms around them as well. "This is hard for me too you know? I want what's best for you and if I'm honest... That isn't me. I am more likely to bring you to an early grave..." He stared at them intently. In his eyes, he saw them dying a thousand times, in a thousand different scenarios.
The Force itself was showing him these images, praying on his doubts and trying to manipulating him. It had brought them together, and now it was trying to separate them after seeing what he was capable of. While impossible for it to change him or make him do something, it was more than capable of acting on his own insecurities.
Ben knew that the things he saw weren't a certainty, but these were people he cared about and the fact that he could be responsible for their deaths... It hurt more than he was able to handle... After all, he would have no one to blame but himself, and that would be something he would bare for the rest of his life.
But, looking at the three young girls and it was obvious that he was hurting them as it is. Sometimes, a sacrifice has to be made or a risk has to be taken... So, he will take the risk and if it comes to it, he will bare the consequences.
In the end, Ben closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "I truly want what's best for you, but it's ultimately not my decision anymore." He looked at them once more. "I recklessly placed myself in your lives and therefore... The choice is not for only me to decide. If this is your decision, I will not force the matter any further. I'm sorry."
The three girls' faces lit up in joy hearing, smiles spread across their faces. "Thank you, Master! And don't worry, we'll always be with you!" They said, having begun the construction of a plan to ensure a good future for them. But, that will remain with them.
---
After the chaotic events that occurred that day, Ben did as he said and returned to his normal behaviour, if only a bit more cautious about his locked negative emotions, deep within the darkness.
In the case of his visit to the bar and subsequent mutilation of his target, word spread fast of an insane and cruel bounty hunter with power like a Jedi. This only increased as he and the girls took more bounties, they grew a reputation, and fortunately there wasn't a second incident.
People were always talking about Jedi, sometimes positive, but usually negative. So, when word of Ben's and the girls exploits reached the Inner Rim, it quickly reached the ears of the Jedi Council.
In typical fashion, because there was a possible threat out there, the Council decided to send their people to investigate and possibly apprehend the mysterious Force wielders. Also in typical fashion though, the deployed parties had automatically assumed he was a Sith and approached him with their weapons drawn, resulting in them being sent flying away with a Force Push and having some (almost all) of their bones broken.
On another note, Ben had been dedicating a good portion of his time seeking out new DNA samples. Some of the more impressive additions to his collection include;
- Krayt Dragon, a massive reptile from the deserts of Tattooine. Fighting the beast was more difficult than most due to it possessing higher levels of strength and defense, and the thickness of its body reducing the effectiveness of his Lightsabers in terms of delivering a crucial blow.
But, thanks to his Lightsabers being only a replica and possessing modifications, such as the blade projection. With that little addition and after enjoying himself a bit, Ben sent an energy blade slicing through the neck completely. At least this was the case for the Greater Krayt Dragon.
There actually existed three variations of the Krayt Dragon. A basic one, a Greater Krayt Dragon and a Canyon Krayt Dragon. So, he made sure to get a sample of each varient, and inside each one there was a pearl that was both valuable and possesses extraordinary refractive properties, making them good weapon modifiers to increase the power.
- On the planet Dathomir, there was a giant bat creature called a Chirodactyl. To combat this creature and its dominion over the sky's of Dathomir, Ben utilised his Mana, creating platforms to jump on in the sky.
Unfortunately, the Chirodactyl possessed no other properties that made it valuable, so there was merely the glory of the kill and the acquisition of its DNA.
While on Dathomir however, Ben saw it as an opportunity to train something he'd been putting off. Learning to use Dark magic and Necromancy.
The planet was home to the Witches of Dathomir, who were long time users of such magics, making the world have conditions extremely suitable for learning the dark arts.
However, this also lead to conflict. The Witches or 'Nightsisters' didn't take kindly to the presence of outsiders on their planet and were quick to attack them. Sooo~ Ben used them as training tools, utilising their own dead that rested within pods to train his magic.
A small war was what ensued, but surprisingly, with no casualties on either side. All of Ben's troops were dead from the start and he had no reason to actually kill any of the women opposing him, they were merely tools for training his magic in his mind and didn't qualify as enemies, so didn't deserve death.
He spent an entire month playing his game and would have continued, considering the progress he made in his Dark magic and Necromancy, but it came to an end when the Nightsisters called a cease fire.
His magic had grown too powerful for the Nightsisters to continue fighting him. Their dead had somehow become more powerful under his magic than they ever had in the analogues of their history.
Their leader requested a meeting, but Ben had no interest in actually getting involved with them, so he simply sent the dead back to their resting places and left the planet. He had already got everything he could want anyways, from the energy/magic weapons the Nightsisters wielded, to multiple vats of the glowing green magical ichor that resides within the planet.
- A less impressive species he came across was the Angels from one of the moons of Iego, otherwise known as the Diathim.
This was a sentient species that could travel in space thanks to their physiology. This particular race was interesting to Ben, because they seemed similar to energy beings, but just turned out to naturally glow and are more like the Pixie aliens from the Ben 10 universe.
- A creature that he came across by pure accident, was space whales called Purrgil. They were incredible creatures that had tentacles like an Octopus instead of fins.
The Purrgil were a space fairing creature that were capable of travelling through hyperspace, so Ben had to exit his ship in order to acquire their DNA, so he changed into his Anodite form to do it. This was the day that the girls discovered his Alien heritage and became enamoured with his pure energy form.
- Next up is possibly the most disturbing of his encounters, a mind-ràpe tentacle monster, also known as a Mairan.
- The most impressive of his encounters however, was an incredible beast he was guided to on a relatively peaceful world with a deep connection to the Force, the Loth-Wolf.
This encounter was one of greater importance though...
----
One day, while flying through the stars, Ben was co-piloting while Maila was at the reigns. She was always happy to be flying and even more so when Ben was there with her.
They were just enjoying themselves while chatting, it was like any other day, when suddenly everyone aboard the ship felt a pull from the Force.
Sitting in the cockpit, Ben and Maila were able to look directly toward the source of this attraction. It was a seemingly ordinary planet to the average person, but someone strong in the Force would be able to sense the deep connection that the two shared.
Ben stared at it for a short moment, before turning to Maila and saying. "Take us down. I want to investigate." To which, Maila nodded and steered the ship down to the planets surface, heading in the direction she felt a pull originate from.
Meanwhile, Ben checked the Navicomputer to see what the planet was called, discovering it to be called Lothal. This sent him into his thoughts, as he found that it sounded familiar. '... Wait! This is the same planet from the 'Rebels' series. It wasn't that good in my opinion, those Inquisitors were utterly incompetent, but there were a few interesting episodes. Especially...' He grinned to himself thinking of what he was likely to find.
...
A short while later, the Master and his apprentices were stood before a mountain, around which were array carvings. This was no ordinary mountain and was in fact a hidden Jedi Temple, but that was just a fraction of its importance.
Stepping forward, Ben spread his hands out and slowly began lifting them. As he did, the ground rumbled and though with a slight delay, the mountain began to rise out of the ground while rotating.
In a few moments the mountain had more than tripled in size, and was floating above the four of them. Beneath the giant floating mass, a deep crater had appeared, with a single set of stairs leading down.
Ben began walking down the stairs with the girls following, quickly reaching the bottom and making his way to the farthest wall, which had a very special mural on it.
The mural depicted three people, an owl and a pack of wolves. The people were an elderly looking man, a youthful woman with green hair and an edge-lord. They are the Father, the Son and the Daughter, highly powerful Force wielders that are often considered God's. Around the figures, there was a star chart, while there was a landscape representative of Lothal.
Staring at the mural for a few seconds, Ben rapped his chin while saying. "If I remember correctly, I need to touch the Daughters hand..." He stepped forward, using his Mana to create a small platform in order to reach for the hand of the woman, laying his hand flat against the wall.
There was a moment of silence as a small tremor spread out in the Force and the mural lit up, while the images shifted. First, the Daughter moved and then the Father, followed by the wolves. The wolves began walking along the wall and then formed a circle while constantly moving.
Watching this, the girls were in wonder, admiring the mysterious work of art, but not for long as Ben spoke. "Well, let's go." And with that he walked through the wall that had become a portal, surprising the girls for a second before they hurried in after him.
Upon crossing the boundary, the four of them found themselves standing in a strange world, situated between space and time of the 'Star Wars' multiverse itself. And this plane, 'The World between Worlds', was a means of passing between the universes and timelines.
Of course, this was a place that was coveted by many, a means to control the universe. After all, control time and you control the universe itself.
To Ben however, this place held no such importance, it was merely a place of interest, as how often would he be able to look through the past, present and future of a universe, along with all its alternate outcomes.
First though, it would be necessary to understand this place, and how better to do that than to meditate. Leading his apprentices to the centre of the world, he sat down with them and began meditating, grasping an understanding of how to navigate the strange realm, along with how it works. To some degree at least.
When he thought he understood enough, Ben rose to his feet. To his surprise, when he looked to the girls, he found them in a deep trance and figured it would be unwise to disturb them.
So, Ben took off on his own and began to search the portals. Through them, he witnessed all kinds of events unfold throughout the history of the universe and those to unfold from the timeline he is from. However, he was unable to find a timeline where he existed, concluding that he was a singularity here and existed as only one. This raised a question in his mind. 'I wonder if my own world is the same?...'
While searching through the portals, Ben began to feel a connection forming with his surroundings, through which he seemed to gain further understanding of just how this plane could be used. He began to see ways he could take control of everything.
Searching through portals of great importance, pivotal moments in time, Ben started to make small disruptions within. He started with a simple test of moving objects and made his way up to extreme acts, like changing the outcome of a battle.
Imagine, the moment the Jedi went to apprehend Palpatine and he leaped out his chair, instead of attacking the Jedi as he planned, he went flying head first into a wall. Like that, there was no challenge for the Jedi to take Palpatine into custody and he was locked in the deepest cell they could find.
During the birth of Luke and Leia, he Force healed Padme and whispered through the Force, inciting her Will to live again. This lead to the three of them living as a family and Obi-wan teaching the kids. Later, they confronted Darth Vader and told him the truth, how they were his children and Padme was still alive. They brought him back to the Light and together, they defeated Darth Sidious and brought peace to the galaxy.
Like this, he began making his way around the portals and making changes that would theoretically lead to better outcomes. Sure, there were times that things were escalated because of his intervention, but a lot of good came from his actions the majority of the time.
After passing by many portals, Ben came to one that made him stop and just watch. Inside the portal, he saw a small family living happily. It was a family of five Twi'leks, three of which he knew all to well, as they were his very own apprentices.
Seeing this, he could also sense that a connection was formed between this portal and the girls as they meditated. Looking deeper into the connection, he discover that it was akin to a bridge, connecting the three young Force wielders to their alternate selves within the portal.
Turning back to the portal, Ben decided to just observe. This was their family whole, with a loving Mother and Father to take care of them. He watched as they live their normal lives and grow into strong young women, all while living the lives they rightfully deserved and enjoying the time they spent with their parents.
After seeing them become adults and separating from their parents to become independent, Ben turned and walked away while whispering a promise, a promise to their parents. "I can't give them the lives they deserve, but... I will do my best and I hope that's enough."
Behind him, the portal shifted to a scene with just their parent standing there, as though they were looking through the portal and smiling as they seemingly watched his departing back.
Ben made his way back to the girls, with them awakening upon his arrival. They had tears in the corners of their eyes, but were smiling happily, looking like a weight had been lifted off them. "Come. It's time we returned." He said gently and the three nodded in return, getting up and following him back to the portal they entered from.
Before they left, the girls looked back to the portal with their parents still visible within, saying a silent fairwell, before they and Ben left the World between Worlds for good. Upon exiting, the first thing Ben did was close the portal, causing it and the mural to dissappear.
They then ascended the stairs out of the crater and Ben dropped the mountain back into place. Stepping away, they got a good 10 metres away before sensing something and turning around, coming face to face with some Loth-Wolves.
Seeing as they came straight to him, Ben saw this as the perfect opportunity. So, he strode towards them without hesitation and placed the watch against the chest of the one in the lead, a white one that seemed to be waiting for him to do so.
While collecting the sample, Ben stroked the neck of the large wolf until the Omnitrix was done, before stepping away. At this, the wolf bowed its head as a farewell and turned away with the other, sprinting off and soon disappearing as they travelled through space.
It was a strange encounter, but the Force was strong in those wolves and likely lead them to him in order to aid him in his endeavours to acquire DNA.
---
Due to him suddenly remembering the 'Rebels' series, Ben thought to make his way to a planet called Malachor. A complete and utter waste land, far worse than even Korriban.
The reason for the state of the planet was the result of a Sith weapon built ages ago, slighyly damaged, but still very functional. What the weapon actually does was never fully explained, but it at the very least had the capability of turning thousands of Sith and Jedi into stone. It was built with a giant Kyber Crystal, making it extremely valuable to someone that knew how to use it.
On the planet, there were still the weapons of the ancient Sith and Jedi, their Lightsabers, which were also of interest to Ben. But, without his handy little watch that gave him the ability to run at mach speeds, Ben didn't feel like going around and picking up each one.
After thinking about it for some time, he decided to try something absurd. Putting the planet and everything on it, in his inventory!
By having the girls remain in the Ebon Hawk while it floated outside the planets atmosphere, Ben for the second time since his arrival, transformed into his Anodite form. He went out the airlock and into open space, taking a small flight around the ship and waving to the admiring girls, before shooting down to the planet and putting a hand on it, immediately sending it into his inventory.
Like this, a second planet had been removed from the galaxy due to his efforts. As a result, he had gained a large amount of Lightsaber hilts that need some refurbishment, a super weapon and most importantly, a hell of a lot of Kyber Crystals.
He returned straight to the ship with his loot, where he was met with excited cheers from his apprentices. Like; "Yay! Master, come play!" or "You look so pretty and cool like!" and the single question shouted in astonishment. "How did you make the planet disappear!?" The girls were extremely excited to see him in this form again and began asking all kinds of requests for hims to display his abilities, spending a good amount of time entertaining themselves by getting Ben to show them tricks.
---
Another artifact that Ben got his hands on, was a machine called an Aeon Engine. He acquired it while passing by the fiery world Mustafar, following a hint from the Force, he went down and found a fortress.
This fortress belonged to a Force Wielder by the name of Lady Corvax, the woman that built a machine to bring her beloved back to life, only to destroy a world in the process.
That was the purpose of the Aeon Engine, resurrecting the dead. But, it was a failure in the end. The real prize is the neat little power source called the Bright Star crystal, which output massive amounts of energy.
Initially, the Bright Star was locked away and the only way to get it was with the key, plus be the descendent of Corvax herself. At least, that's the requirement for normal people, but Ben simply brute forced his way through and tore the place apart.
In addition to the Bright Star and Aeon Engine, Ben got an extremely ancient Lightsaber and a droid army, of which neither work. But still, this meant he could take them apart and make use of components. Like the Kyber Crystal from Corvax's Lightsaber.
So, after pilfering the old fortress of anything useful, Ben left and continued a leisurely cruise around the galaxy.
---
One day, during a training session, Ben was observing as the girls ran through their exercises. 'I think it's time.' He thought to himself and then called out. "Girls! Come here!"
With his shout, the girls came running over and stood before him. "Yes, Master?" Vette asked while tilting her head to the side.
"Sit down." He told them and waited for them to do so, before waving his arm and dropping a large amount of Kyber Crystals that he had purified between them. "It's time that you three got your own Lightsabers." This sentence greatly excited the three young girls and had them ready to burst, which made Ben chuckle at their cute expressions as he said. "I want you to meditate and reach out with the Force, with any luck, one of these Crystals will call to you and then we can begin constructing your hilts."
The three of them nodded and closed their eyes, calming their minds and sinking into meditation. Ben sat and watched them patiently, observing their efforts and smiling proudly as he saw three of the Crystals vibrate in excitement, soon floating up into the air while shining splendidly.
All at the same time, the girls then reached their hands out, palm flat while facing up, and that was when the Crystals gently landed in their palms and they opened their eyes.
Suddenly unable to hold their excitement, the three of them jumped to their feet while holding their crystals to their chests, beginning to hop up and down in glee. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"
Smiling proudly at them, Ben stored the crystals, then began to stand up and Maila was quick to jump on him, giving him a tight hug before letting go and presenting her crystal to her Master. "Master! Look, look! It's so pretty!"
Chuckling in response, Ben patted her head while saying. "Yes, I know. But there is something more important, and that is making your Lightsabers." With those words, the other two girls stopped their dances and ran over while presenting their crystals to him.
"Here Master, our crystals!" They said with bright and cheerful smiles. "How long will it take before we have our own Lightsabers?"
Ben shook his head however. "Sorry girls, but it won't be me making them. You have to do it." With a wave of his hand, he presented before them a large variety of Lightsaber materials. "Use your instincts and pick the material that calls to you, and then you will begin constructing them to your desire."
Hearing that they had to make their Lightsabers themselves disappointed them, as they were looking forward to receiving them directly from Ben, but they were quick to cheer back up thinking of receiving praise from him instead.
So, they retook their meditative position and with the Force aiding them, they began to quickly pick out the parts they needed to create their very own Lightsabers.
Ben had been sure to thoroughly teach them all there was to know about building a saber, so it was no difficulty at all for them and soon enough, they had their new tools in their hands.
When they were all done, they stood before Ben and after seeing him give a curt nod of his head, they ignited the blades.
Their hilts were unique, but shared similarities representative of their bond. While they showed their own individual preferences, they made sure that there would always be something that shows their connection. However, there was something missing for them, but would be easy to add at another time.
Looking at the three's Lightsabers, Maila and Thalia went for a classic single blade, their blades colours being Blue and Red respectively. Vette chose to make a double-bladed lightsaber, a bright golden yellow for the blade.
This was the result of their crystals immediately forming a connection to them, their own ideals and personality being the determining factor for the resulting colours.
Maila's Lightsaber was a light, calming blue. It bared her pure soul and all the qualities within, devoid evil, but very much capable of cutting through that which she chooses.
In regards to Thalia's red blade, it was the result of her infusing her focused hate for all those that would harm her or her family. In this way, it is like no other Sith's Lightsaber, as it is a tool to protect and not merely slaughter.
On the other hand, Vette's practically golden blade was like an incarnation of justice. Her desire to protect the weak and innocent, but most importantly, her family.
The girls stood and stared at their sabers in admiration. This was something they created to protect themselves, to protect each other and to finally stand at their Masters side.
With a slight wave of his hand, Ben made the blades retracted and proudly, yet seriously said. "Well done, I couldn't be more proud of how far the three of you came in such little time. However, always remember, these are not mere weapons. They are tools to be used as extensions of yourself and treated as parts of you, for them to follow your Will and are only ever to be used in certainty. Understood?" He saw them nod with eyes full of determination and after a brief moment, he smiled. "Good. Now, come here."
He suddenly Force pulled them into his embrace, firmly wrapping his arms around them. This brought about happy giggles from the girls as they returned the gesture.
Ben went on to make them a feast consisting of all their favourite foods and gave them a day of total relaxation to reward them for all their hard work.
---
Continuing their adventure, Ben decided to take a tour of the wilds pace region, a place where there was no records of hyperspace lanes because they were constantly changing.
While there, he came across something that caused the girls to be enraged, particularly Thalia. After a bit of travelling, they ended up in a region called the Huk sector, where there was an infestation of a technologically advance race of bugs called the Yam'rii.
The thing that so enraged Ben's dear students, was that this species was one that liked to invade other worlds, strip them of their resources and... enslave the native sentients. This was just like the Zygerrians and they hated it.
Ben wasn't much different in his disgust of them, also having a hatred for slavers. This lead to him doing something... Extreme. Positioned above the home world, he exited the ship while still in open space, wearing his now signature Revan armour that was now infamous throughout the Galaxy.
Using Mana, he moved himself onto the top of the ship, before slowly beginning to spread his arms out. In a matter of seconds, light red energy particles started coming off of the planets surface, flowing straight into his body.
Then, in a few moments, even more energy came flying from the far reached of the sector, which also went straight into his body.
By using the Force within all creatures, aka the Living Force, he was able to sense connection between every member of the Yam'rii race. And so, he was able to use that Force connection to begin draining the Living Force, and thereby life-force, of every last member of the species in the universe. As a result, Ben eradicated them from existence.
As with the last time he absorbed the Force from the another source, Ben's MP more than doubled, giving him a rush of power that was almost addictive. The feeling of the abundance of energy running through him brought a sense of euphoria and it has to be noted, he had been increasing his reserves for months at this point, making the increase all the more impressive.
In the absolute silence of space, Ben lowered his arms back down and breathed out while thinking to himself. 'It's no wonder Nihilus was so addicted to this, it feels incredible. Though, I suppose he needed to continue doing it just to survive.' Beneath his mask, Ben was grinning like a mad man, but with a bit of time he settle down and began making his way back into the ship.
Once inside, they immediately headed back toward the known region. What he'd done was a major shock to the girls, but they felt no sympathy for the Yam'rii and only concerned themselves with ensuring that Ben was still the same, worried that this act might change him. But, he assured them that all was well.
---
Upon their return, it was a matter of time before Ben started hearing tales of members of the Yam'rii that were in Republic space, there seeking support for a war they started, only to suddenly disappear into red particles.
This left many confused and scared, with the Republic on alert for whomever or whatever might have caused it. That was short lived however, as they soon had other problems on their hands.
There was also word that numerous systems had started to leave the Republic and join the newly formed 'Confederacy of Independent Systems'.
When he heard about this, Ben finally understood the exact point in time he was in and that within roughly two more years, there was going to be a war that would shake the Galaxy.
With this knowledge, Ben decided on two points of action to take.
---
A few days in hyperspace and the Ebon Hawk had arrived at a junk world by the name of 'Lotho Minor'.
For many, this was just a planet full of garbage, but for Ben it was much more. This was because he knows something that no one else does, and that it that this planet was currently occupied by a Sith, Darth Maul.
So, Ben took the ship down to the surface, using the Force to find the exact location he needed to land at and then exited with the girls. He spoke and told them. "You three stay here and guard the ship. I won't be long."
He then walked away, heading to a small shack made of from scrap. Inside, there was a loose sheet of metal over a hole in the floor, an obvious trap for any who enter.
This was what Ben was looking for though, so he moved the metal away and jumped down the hole while using the Force to slow his descent. Soon enough, he reached the bottom and found himself in a cave. Inside, he felt only one presence.
Ben started walking and soon found his prey, cowering in a corner and clutching his head while rambling, spouting the Sith code like it was his gospel.
"Through passion, I gain strength. Through strength, I gain power. Through power, I gain victory. Through victory-" The being known as Maul said.
But as Maul neared the end, he was suddenly joined by Ben. ""Through victory, my chains are broken..."" Maul turned around sharply, like a wild beast that had been startled.
"That is how it goes. Isn't it?" Ben asked, not really caring about an answer. "But it is far from the truth." He followed with distain, meanwhile Maul was backing into his corned with mechanical legs formed and controlled using the Force.
Maul was still clutching his head, staring wide-eyed at Ben with an expression of fear, speaking to him and sounding like a lunatic. "You! No. No! Who are you!? You look like a man! But that can't be!! You... You are no man! You are!..." Suddenly, he stopped rambling and seemed more calm as he said. "You... what are you? The Force...? The Force! You are the Force! Yes! That must be it! I knew you would not abandon me! I knew this was not to be my fate!"
The decrepit creature swiftly crawled out of his corner, scuttling over to Ben and clutching his leg while looking up at him with mad hope.
"Please! Please tell me! What can I do to serve you!? How can I enact your Will!?" He asked in his insane ravings, seeming to mistake Ben for someone or something else.
Ben was looking down on Maul and felt disgusted. "Pathetic." He said and kicked Maul off him. "You wish to break your chains, but will always remain a slave to the Force it seems." He began walking over to Maul and then grabbed him by the throat, staring him dead in the eye. "There is only one way for you to be free, and that is death."
Mauls eyes widened, he began to claw and pull at Ben's arm to free himself. "No! Nonono! This can't be! It can not end yet! I-I have so much... so much left to do... I must take revenge. Revenge on the Jedi who took my legs!! On Obi-wan... Kenobiii!!!" He screamed, but it was swiftly cut as Ben ripped his head from the rest of his body.
Ben snorted distainfully, placed the head in his inventory and then left. Like that, Maul had died and Ben left the planet with his curious deciples.
....
Once off the junk planet and zooming through hyperspace once again, Ben removed his gear and started relaxing in casual clothing formed by the Omnitrix.
Sitting with the girls, they were watching some strange show that seemed to be a drama-romance, where a human female has fallen in love with a Mon Calamari nobleman and has to go through numerous trials to be accepted by his family.
It seemed as though the girls were deeply engrossed in the romance of the story and the love the two people had for each other. The way the two different races came together through 'the power of love' was pretty sickening for Ben, but it had the girls enraptured and hopeful for 'something' like that for themselves.
By the end of the show, they were tired and so went to bed. Just like any other night, the girls were quick to latch on to Ben and snuggle into him as they fell asleep. Ben on the other hand chose not to sleep and simply spent the time meditating.
It wouldn't be long until the Clone Wars began, so it was important to be in control of the situation whenever he can and that required power.
[Status -
Name - Ben
Lv - 69 (123,060/245,000)
Title - Wielder of the Omnitrix, Anti-Hero, Idol Slayer
State - Healthy MP - 198,700
STR - 3633
END - 3734
AGI - 3633
CHA - 3635
INT - 308
LUK - 777
AP - 0 SP - 1,715,200
Primary Skills: CQC Lv-5, Marksmanship Lv-5, Intimidation Lv-5, Danger Sense Lv-4, Sneak Lv-4, Mana Manipulation Lv-3
Secondary Skills: Drawing Lv-3, Math Lv-4, Science Lv-4, Writing/Literacy Lv-4, Maneuvering Lv-5, Driving Lv-4, Engineering Lv-5, Cooking Lv-4, Pain Tolerance Lv-9, Bioengineering Lv-5, Programming Lv-5, Torture Lv-2, Acting Lv-4, Enchanting Lv-3
Unique Skill: Wrath, Love and Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Complete Language Comprehension, Eidetic Memory, Analyse, Night Vision, The Force]
(0 Recoveries Stored)