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[sithhavecooties.livejournal.com]

Ben Skywalker was trying to meditate, and failing spectacularly.

The Room of a Thousand Fountains – or, more accurately, on the ship’s reproduction of the room at the Temple, which was itself a replica of the Old Republic’s Temple Room of a Thousand Fountains – was designed to be as relaxing as possible, filled with waterfalls and shallow pools that rippled in the soft lights. But even in this familiar pocket of the ship, his mind remained stubbornly unblankable. His emotions, he knew, were an open book of pain, regret, confusion, loss, and even fear and anger toward Coruscant’s invaders. Jedi Knights were meant to have control of their feelings at all times, but, then again, most Jedi Knights didn’t have to relive the destruction of the galaxy.

He sighed, and admitted to himself that meditation was out of the question. There was too much to think about – could the Ohm be stopped, how was this crew supposed to stop them, should they be stopped at all, should someone talk to them, why were they doing this, how were the Daligig resisting them, why were the Daligig resisting them, where was Vestara anyway, what was the ship meant to do, why was the ship revealing memories now, had that really been his memory, had it really happened -- to put it all aside. And more than that… Ben needed reassurance from the Force. It was unquestionably childish, but after reliving that much death, what he wanted more than anything was the comfort of feeling the lives left on board this ship.

Ben closed his eyes and reached out in the Force, searching through the Force for his family, for the survivors from his own galaxy, and for the beings he’d met since his release from hibernation. He brushed each of their minds briefly, just enjoying the fact that they were there, not caught up in the cracking of a planet or smashed by enemy starships. They were alive and luminous in the Force – and that, more than anything in the Room of a Thousand Fountains – let him begin to relax.

Comments

[notadamnangel.livejournal.com]

This mind would be a bit louder, and mixed with emotions. There was still pain, guilt and regret laced throughout his very being. Definite anger toward the Ohm. But there were more recent corners of joy and shreds of peace newly forming. He didn't feel as dead and empty as he had been when he first was on board, or even after nightmares, and learning his own memories.

Dean wandered in, staring at the surroundings. The fountains were rather relaxing to look at, peaceful. He then noticed Ben, and debated on saying something. Kid looked in the middle of something. So he just made a throat clearing noise to get his attention.

[sithhavecooties.livejournal.com]

Ben glanced up, glad for the distraction. "Hey," he said, not stirring from his seat next to one of the room's many waterfalls. "What brought you up to the Temple?"

[notadamnangel.livejournal.com]

He shrugged, "Was just wandering past after my patrol. How you doing, Ben?"

[sithhavecooties.livejournal.com]

He shrugged. "I got to sit down with the ship. I asked for a memory back and," he blinked hard, dashing away a new round of sobbing before it could begin, "I got it."

[notadamnangel.livejournal.com]

Damn, he knew exactly what that meant.

He nodded, "Yeah. Those sons of bitches are going to pay for this. We're taking them down, one way or another."

[sithhavecooties.livejournal.com]

Ben shook his head. "You shouldn't let anger cloud your judgment." He smiled ruefully. "Not that I'm doing a great job of that right now."

Because what if they are like the Vong? What if it doesn't have to end with us wiping each other out?

[notadamnangel.livejournal.com]

Dean snorted at that, "Kid, I'm about the farthest thing around from being a Jedi. I got emotions but I sure as hell know how to focus in a fight."

[sithhavecooties.livejournal.com]

"Not the furthest." He stretched out of his meditative position, leaning back against an artificial rock construction. "I wanted that memory to see if the ship was right about our galaxy being gone -- and I think it was telling the truth. But I still don't know what to do about it."

[notadamnangel.livejournal.com]

(ok thought I tagged this, wth LJ?)

"Yeah I am, and yeah, still figuring that part out myself. As soon as I saw it, I remember being there. Seeing it disappear in seconds."

He shrugged, "Figure out what it takes to take them down before more worlds go belly up. Prove to them some people aren't going to take this lying down."

[restoresbalance.livejournal.com]

It was hard to ignore your child's pain. It had had a particular sense through the Force when Ben had brushed against Luke's mind, and in response he'd come to find his son. Feeling a bit guilty that he hadn't spent more time with his son on board, but knowing at the same time that Ben was sixteen now and also completely capable of taking care of himself, Luke came up the steps to this level of the Temple. It had a different layout than the one he was familiar with, but the effect was similar. One of calm, closeness with the Force.

And with the turmoil he was sensing in his son's mind, Luke figured Ben needed that.

"It's just me," he called softly, spotting Ben sitting among rippling reflections cast by the light on the water and making his way over. Luke didn't hide the concern in his voice or his presence. There were definitely some instances in which a Jedi was more than allowed to drop the mystique. "What's going on, Ben?"

[sithhavecooties.livejournal.com]

At times like this, it was hard to believe he'd spent years avoiding his parents whenever possible. Here, now, his father's presence was the most reassuring thing in the galaxy -- or an infinite number of galaxies.

"I went to the ship," he said, eschewing all the normal lighthearted family banter. "I wanted my memories of the Ohm back, and I got them. It was like -- I've seen holos of the fall of Coruscant, and this was worse, because they were breaking the whole planet apart, and attacking the rest of the galaxy at the same time." He rubbed at his eyes with the sleeve of his plantsuit, not wanting to cry again. " I felt the whole galaxy die and I couldn't do anything about it."

[restoresbalance.livejournal.com]

Taking a seat beside Ben, Luke slid his arm around his son's shoulders, listening as he spoke. His own heart ached to hear the slight roughness of tears in his son's voice, to hear what he'd seen--what Luke must have seen, though he'd opted not to have his memories given back. Some things were better left alone. But it had been Ben's choice, and Luke would stand behind his son no matter what.

As if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were suddenly silenced.

"What could you have done then to stop them?" he asked gently.

[sithhavecooties.livejournal.com]

"I don't know," he said brokenly. "Maybe taken out their command ship or raised an alarm. Or -- maybe I couldn't have done anything. But that doesn't help me feel any better about thousands of trillions of beings getting snuffed out. And I can't do anything about it now because... dad, I don't even know when it happened. We could have been in hibernation for a thousand years. What if there's not anyone left to help?"

[restoresbalance.livejournal.com]

That thought wasn't a happy one, and based on what Luke had found out when they'd stormed the bridge and rousted the pirates, it was very likely that the world he and Ben knew had been destroyed, along with many others. "There might not be," he agreed. "But we still have a responsibility to help those beings out there that still are alive, whether or not they're from the same place we are. I think the best thing we can do is to step up for them."

[sithhavecooties.livejournal.com]

"I know." He paused, unsure how to articulate his jumble of emotions, the nagging doubts he had about everything that had happened. "I believe the ship about the Ohm getting Coruscant. What I felt... it was like mom on Kavan, but a thousand trillion times over. It felt like the Force, not some kind of trick. But I don't know what the best way to stand up for anyone is. Not against those things."

[restoresbalance.livejournal.com]

Rubbing Ben's shoulder absently (partly because thinking of how it had felt to lose Mara tugged a little bit on that wound), Luke was quiet a moment while he thought. Truth be told, he wasn't sure himself what exactly was expected of any of those who had awoken aboard. Save the multiverse was vague, even for a Jedi. How were they to take on this task? So many questions without answers.

Fortunately, there was a way to at least work on that.

"Neither do I, and neither does anyone else but Stacy and the Daligig, probably," Luke replied honestly. "It's something that either has yet to be told us, or that we have to come up with on our own. My credits'd be on the latter."

[sithhavecooties.livejournal.com]

He frowned. "Do you think the ship really wants to help? If it's seen a lot of action against the Ohm, you'd think it'd tell us more about them."

[goodofthetribe.livejournal.com]

Vestara was quietly pleased by the Temple's elegance; she kept her head forward, not looking sideways or upward at the ornate fixtures, as much as she wanted to.

The room seemed to call to her, and once inside, it took Ves a moment to contain her amazement.

There were other presences here. There was one she knew in particular. Ves quietly made her way to Ben Skywalker.

"You look uncommonly pensive," she sneered, sitting down and allowing nearby water to trickle over her fingers. "Considering a modeling career?"

Not that he's attractive or anything. Eugh.

[sithhavecooties.livejournal.com]

"No," he said curtly. "Thanks for asking."

Actually, it was a small relief to have her here. Thinking about the Ohm created question after question -- none of them with answers; those would make saving the multiverse easy -- without any plan of action emerging. Dealing with Vestara, by contrast, was comparatively simple: don't let her get to you, don't share ancient secrets of the Jedi Order, stop thinking about how pretty she is, don't share the Shadow's activation codes, don't let her find Aunt Leia's spiceloaf recipe.

[goodofthetribe.livejournal.com]

Being here was really starting to get frustrating; Ves had acquired much and learned even more, but she hadn't anticipated being cut off from her people for so long.

(Because thinking about it this way was easier than admitting they'd most likely been eradicated by the Ohm. Or, even worse: admitting that she missed them.)

She traced lazy circles in the water. At least Ben was familiar.

"You're ever so welcome."

Her goal today was to locate the Archives. Getting in and looking around without being grilled was an entirely different task, but her plans to at least mentally map the Temple were ahead of schedule.

[sithhavecooties.livejournal.com]

Ben leaned back against one of the smooth stones scattered around the room and sighed. "I saw the Ohm. It looks like we're stuck working together here, too."

[goodofthetribe.livejournal.com]

It was an uncomfortable paradox. After everything she'd experienced, Vestara wasn't doubtful of Stacy's motives anymore. Yet hearing Ben voice her reluctant acceptance as fact made her bristle.

She wrinkled her nose. "What did you see?"

Work together? No. She'd rather fall on her own blade. Working alongside each other, however, could be managed.

[sithhavecooties.livejournal.com]

"Coruscant." He gave her a fleeting smile. "Don't play dumb on that one; anyone who has any access to comm tech has to know what Coruscant is." He took a deep breath. "Was, anyway. They set the surface on fire, then cracked the planet. I don't know what they did to the rest of the galaxy, but they killed off trillions of beings, all at once."

[goodofthetribe.livejournal.com]

There were still a few drops of hope in Vestara's heart that if Kesh was gone... it had experienced a much nobler destruction.

"It is unfortunate you had to see that. Indeed, you should be thankful your life was spared."

[sithhavecooties.livejournal.com]

"Yeah? And what about you?"