Star Wars: Shadowbound Chapter 5 - Shmi’s Freedom, An Angel Saved & Asking The Impossible
Doc - https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QDgmbU0X3XXqgDHHBsSz8L7j1OFKPgxat1YmYs-S4aA/edit?usp=sharing
Ting!
[Minor Quest Completed - Swindle The Swindler!Description - It takes a scum to rig a game. It takes a greater scum to still win. Goal - Scam Watto's scam. Reward - +0.1% Dark Side Inhibitor Efficiency, Crush Opposition]
"..."
Arenval stared at the changing string of words that T7 was projecting. It looked like some sort of game statistics to him, but why the ancient droid was doing it was unknown.
Ting!
Once again, he heard a loud bell, but Aayla didn't respond. She was busy staring at the remote and questioning Watto about the slave's residence.
What is all this?
Arenval rarely cursed, even in his own mind. But this time, he really couldn't hold back.
[Select a Sith Name to unlock the full SSS-Assistant!]
A what now? Who said I'm a Sith?
He crouched beside T7 and knocked on the metal casing a few times. "Are you malfunctioning?"
"T7 = Updated!" T7 beeped and booped.
"Updated?"
"Aren? Is something wrong?" Aayla asked just then.
Arenval looked up from his crouched position and pointed at the lines of text T7 was projecting. "Teeseven's acting strange. He's holoprojecting nonsense."
"Hm? I don't see anything," Aayla replied, giving T7 a light tap on the head. "He's been nothing but good."
T7 whistled happily.
"You don't see this? The red lines?"
"I think you need some rest, Aren."
Arenval stood up, eyeing T7 with suspicion as he could still see that line asking him to enter a Sith name to unlock the rest of this SSS-Assistant. It was too gamelike, and it did seem like a game. T7 did know the Sith to pull something like that.
Nevertheless, Arenval focused on the task at hand. He wanted to leave Tatooine as soon as possible. The planet was too hot, too dry, and too savage for his taste. And the last thing he wanted was for its dark currents to affect him.
"Let the Force guide us. Watto won't tell us anything," Arenval said, taking the transmitter chip remote from her. "This way."
The Force did not need to guide them, however, as Arenval knew Shmi lived in the Slave Quarters Row. So, he took the same rotting, slow-speed taxi and headed in that direction. The Slave Quarters Row was one of Mose Espa's poorest areas, and as they got closer, Arenval could feel it.
The dark emotions called to him. To take them in, accept them, and use them. There was a lot of anger and misery there. The whole planet was like that, screaming in agony through the subtle presence in the Force.
How force-sensitive am I?
Seeing that Aayla didn't seem affected by the mood of the area, he couldn't help but wonder what his midichlorian level was. He'd tried asking Yoda before, but the old Grandmaster had ignored it and responded with a wise one-liner. He personally wasn't able to access his file, so he had no idea.
Where do I find one?
Pondering, the speeder soon stopped in the middle of Slave Quarters Row, and Arenval tossed the money, getting off. It was the middle of the day; the dry heat was high, but still, there were plenty of people walking about, all slaves.
"Ugh…" He felt his dark boots turn dusty, and his black robes no longer as black. "I hate sand."
Aayla, covered under an oversized hooded cloak, tapped on his back. "The mighty Arenval losing to sand?"
"Imagine this world was once green, with oceans and cities," he said, shaking the dust from his boots. "Now look at it."
"Green? Tatooine?" Aayla gibed, also shaking her cloak. "Come on, Aren. You can make better jokes."
He just gave her a deadpan look, the one that said 'I wasn't joking' and started walking. He ignored Aayla's curious questions and focused on finding the chosen one's mother. He looked around first, aware that the Skywalker home was once three small hovels, now combined into one, but it still had three doors.
Eventually, he noticed a calm Rodian leaning by a hovel's door, standing under the shade and cooling himself. He walked over to him, noticed how the man flinched, and stood up straight. Arenval's attire, while nothing fancy, wasn’t something a slave wore.
"Greetings. Would you happen to know where the child who won the Boonta Eve Podrace lives?" He calmly asked, as his Jedi teachings taught him.
"Skywalker? That one," the Rodian pointed toward a hovel door across the street, on the second floor. "But he's been gone since that race. Only his mother lives there now."
"Thank you." Arenval turned and left, walking straight towards that hovel.
Soon, he climbed the narrow stairs. The doors weren't large either, even shorter than Aayla's height. Then, on the second floor, he knocked on the door and waited. But as a minute went by, he knocked again.
"I doubt she's home, Aren," Aayla said, looking around. "She's probably off working somewhere. Watto didn't exactly look capable of giving her any food."
"Then we wait," Arenval said, sitting where he was. He let his legs hang over the edge and rested his back against the door. At least the shade was kind. "Teeseven, contact Alfred. We'll be late."
T7 beeped out loud. Though Arenval still saw that red line hovering above T7's head.
A Sith name? Like what? Darth something?
"Aren, where do we go after this?" Aayla asked curiously. "I'm just wondering what the plan is. We don't exactly have anywhere to train or set up camp."
"After this, we'll visit my other apprentice. She... was once a Jedi. I've sent her on a mission," he replied, keeping the location to himself.
"An apprentice? Since when? You were always at the Temple."
"On Brentaal. She tried to kill me, and I somehow ended up recruiting her. She has been through a lot, so try to be a friend to her. And don't ever bring up Master Dooku. Actually, don't mention the Jedi Order either," he said with a warning.
Aayla stared at him for a long moment with her big hazel eyes. "So, an ex-Padawan with an apprentice already. I guess it's Master Tython only now."
"Just Aren is fine," he sighed at his last name. "What was Master Yoda thinking when he named me?"
"Potential, this child has. Become a great Jedi, he will. The name, remind him of Jedi roots, it will, hmm." She cheekily mimicked Yoda's speech, even the voice, hoarse and dragging words with all the dramatics.
Arenval chuckled, just looking at this girl. Only seventeen, and she had run out of the Order to follow him just because of their friendship and bond. He felt incredibly lucky despite the Force curse he lived with.
"I have a feeling that's exactly what happened," he said, lazily leaning against the door further. "Wish Orbe was with us."
"I feel the same. The three of us could've done so much together. The galaxy is crying out for help, but the Order stays so far away that those voices never reach it."
"I didn't know you felt that way about the Order, Aayla."
"Everyone thinks that. Well, most people. Master Vos taught me to keep my eyes open to reality and accept the Order's shortcomings. That's the only way to grow into the kind of Jedi the current Order can't create with its stagnant teachings," Aayla said, passion for the Jedi Order shining through her words.
He looked at her with a raised brow. "Harsh words.'
"Truth is often hard to swallow. But... I feel Orbe wouldn't agree. You're this way because of your Force issues. I'm this way because Master Vos taught me. Orbe learns from Master Billaba, who was Master Windu's Padawan. I doubt she would ever let Orbe believe the Order is wrong about anything."
Arenval gave a small nod. "All the more reason to open our friend's eyes. Sitting on Coruscant, it's easy to miss how deep the rot runs. Take this planet, for example. It's not in Hutt Space, yet the Hutt Cartel holds it. By law, slavery shouldn't exist here, and yet..."
He stood up smoothly, finishing his words.
"...we're here to free a slave."
A woman arrived at the base of the stairs right then. Thin-bodied, wearing a dark grey attire which was a mix of a gown and something utilitarian. In her hand was a toolbox, something she likely used for her work. She wasn't that tall; her hair was brown, as were her eyes, and yet…
Isn't she supposed to be forty?
Arenval found Shmi Skywalker surprisingly beautiful, not the Padme or Aayla kind of beauty, but something more gentle, simple, and warm. She was clearly malnourished, as he could see her collarbones, the muscles of her thin neck, and her sunken cheeks. And despite the few age lines from a tough life, there was beauty, a mother's beauty. One that had faced great hardships and had come out victorious.
He waited for her to climb the narrow stairs to the first floor before he spoke. She hadn't noticed them yet, constantly looking down, as if deep in thought over something.
"Shmi Skywalker?"
She stopped in her tracks right then and cautiously looked up, her brows raised, hence those faint age lines on her forehead. "Yes?"
Arenval gave her a common Jedi bow, tapping on Aayla's head to make her do the same. For no reason, even T7 decided to tilt his body forward to mimic the greeting.
"I'm Arenval. This is Aayla Secura, and this is Teeseven. We're with the Jedi Order. Nothing to worry about. Anakin's alright." He quickly clarified, noticing her panic rising. "May we speak inside?"
Shmi looked at the three of them for a moment before nodding.
Arenval shifted so she could climb up to her door. As she moved in front of him, her body brushed against his chest, and he felt something. It was extremely subtle, but it was there. It felt like another Force-sensitive, but so hard to recognise that it was no different from a normal person.
Not enough to be a Jedi but more than ordinary folks? Makes sense why she can fix almost anything.
Quickly, the hovel's door hissed open. And just as Arenval expected, it was filled to the brim with mechanical and electronic devices, likely rummaged by her throughout Mos Espa. Upon entry, they were in the dining area with a kitchen counter on the side. Most of the dining table was covered with half-finished projects.
Oh? Already?
He found one of the earliest models of the common market holotab. It was in a bad, broken condition, but still working, running a diagnosis on what looked like a droid actuator. It made him happy that his holotabs were so in demand that even their old versions were being used. This was the sign that a piece of tech was reaching mainstream recognition.
Eyeing the rest of the place, it was truly humble. Most of the tech there was reworked, repaired, or custom-made. Even the bio-converter power generator looked like it had been tinkered with. Though no doubt, Anakin had more living space than he ever had in the Jedi Temple.
"Ah, let me clean this," Shmi quickly moved to clear the table. "I was busy with a few things and didn't realize I left such a mess."
Even her voice was kind and warm.
"It happens. I used to fill half my Master's quarters with components whenever I got carried away tinkering. Comes with being an engineer," Arenval said as he moved to help, picking up the larger items before following her into the room on the left.
It was much bigger, with a full workbench, tools, diagnostic benches, and Anakin's well-made, untouched bed.
After a few trips back and forth, they ended up cleaning the entire dining area since there was more mess lying around on the kitchen counters. From the looks of it, Shmi Skywalker was running on autopilot, just using the space she needed to survive alone. As not much time had passed since Anakin left, her emotional state was understandable. She practically lived for her son, and now that son was tens of thousands of light-years away.
At last, they filled the seats around the table. Aayla removed her hood, letting her lekku fall free. Shmi brought them some water and took a seat as well, appearing more nervous than needed.
"This isn't about Anakin, Shmi. I'm here for you." Arenval got straight to the point and took the remote from his pocket. "I don't know how Watto lost everything so quickly. But he was eager to make another wager, with you as the stake this time. Lucky for us, he bet against me. You can deactivate the chip yourself. As for removing it, we'll have it done on Naboo. I'm heading there soon."
Shmi, her hands gathered on her lap, innocently stared at the remote on the table as if expecting to be told this was a joke. She didn't move, didn't reach for it, just looked at it.
And then, she looked at Arenval's face with confusion.
"W-Why?" Her voice broke without realising. With Anakin gone, she had given up hope of ever gaining freedom. She had accepted her fate, that she would die a slave eventually. She just tried her best to survive because she knew Anakin would be sad if she died.
Arenval maintained the plastic expressions he was so used to. But his voice was stirring. "Because I don't follow the blind tenets of the Jedi Order. I couldn't accept that they found the time and strength to free Anakin, yet none to free you. They took what they needed and left you behind. That's disgraceful. I have come to right that wrong."
Shmi stared at the remote, her right hand finally reaching for it, albeit shaking. "Did the Jedi Order send you?"
"No. I left the Jedi Order a few days ago. I couldn't agree with their dogma or their inaction, and I wanted to grow on my own beyond it. I... am known to have visions through the Force. I warned them of Master Jinn's death, and they did nothing. So I left on friendly terms, free to visit whenever I wish. After all, the Temple has been my home since I could form a thought."
Finally, Shmi took the remote and pressed the button on it, permanently deactivating the chip. She let out a deep breath at that and slumped forward, elbows on the table, her head sunken low.
"I... I always hoped for freedom one day. I never imagined it would come so soon," she said softly, overcome with emotion. "Thank you."
"I'm afraid I have my own reasons for this," Arenval replied, waiting for her eyes to meet his. They were watery. "Shmi, do you know how Anakin was conceived?"
"Aren?" Aayla exclaimed towards him with a cautionary look.
"He was conceived without a father, was he not?" He asked further, calming the Twi'lek. "I believe you. And I know how it happened."
Shmi looked around, at Aayla, seemingly asking if this was real.
"Would you like to know that? Why have I come to free you?" He didn't just want to save Shmi. He wanted to give her a reason to value her own life, so she wouldn't put herself in harm's way, ever.
"I-I do… I always wondered how it happened. It has always been a mystery to me. But I always knew my Ani was special." Shmi nodded.
"Did Master Jinn tell you about midichlorians?" Arenval asked.
"He did. It lives inside the cells of all living beings. The higher the count, the stronger the connection with the Force." Shmi gave the textbook answer that Master Jinn had likely told her.
"Yes, that is correct. But midichlorians are not simply particles. They are intelligent lifeforms that act as a conduit between a person and the Force. The Force itself is sentient. It has its own will, and throughout history, it has done things that defy reason. Often, it seeks balance between the light and the dark. Anakin was conceived through the midichlorians by the will of the Force, Shmi."
"What?" Aayla reacted first, her heavy accent spilling. "That can happen?"
"We can move things with our thoughts, Aayla. The Force can do far stranger things than that," he replied, then turned to Shmi.
"From what I've told you, you know Anakin is meant for great things. A great turmoil awaits the galaxy, and he will have a part to play in it. How well he does depends on you, Shmi. If you stay on this planet, you'll die. If I leave you somewhere alone, someone will kill you. And if you die—"
"Ani will be heartbroken," Shmi murmured. "He will... Master Jinn said Ani is too old to begin his Jedi training. That his attachment to me will..."
"I don't believe that. Attachment isn't inherently evil. A Jedi can love a parent, a mother, or even a lover. What matters is whether they let that attachment rule them. Whether they let the fear of losing it rule them. Anakin will struggle with that. So I want you to come with us and live safely with us, so he can train in peace. I'll bring you to see him when I can, but I can't promise it'll be often. The Order is strict."
Shmi's hand tightened around the slave remote while the other gently wiped away her tears. "How do you know I will die here?"
Arenval offered a warm, manufactured smile. "You should get used to not asking questions while living with Jedi, Shmi. Most of the time, you'll hear the same answer. It's the will of the Force."
"…The will of the Force," Aayla said at the same time, offering him a cheeky smile.
"But... I don't wish to be a burden to you, Master Jedi. I have little to offer, and—"
Arenval waved a hand to stop Shmi. "Just call me Aren, or Arenval. I'm not a Jedi Master, impossible to be one since I'm only eighteen, though Aayla and I know what we're doing. And I believe you're talented with machines and fixing things. As luck would have it, my ship needs a mechanic. As for the cost."
He pointed at the old, repaired holotab sitting in the middle of the table.
"My full name is Arenval Tython. I own Tython Tech, and I created this thing. I wouldn't claim to be incredibly rich but—"
"You are absurdly rich," Aayla chimed in. "I asked Alfred."
"He actually gave you the numbers?"
"No, but he did say it's worth more than a few Inner Rim planets."
"Must be some poor ones, then. The Inner Rim has Denon too, and I'm certainly not worth more than an entire ecumenopolis," Arenval said, rising from his chair. "Shmi, you must have plenty to gather. Don't leave anything behind. I'd prefer not to make another trip to Tatooine anytime soon. You worry about packing while Aayla and I make dinner."
"Ah!" Shmi exclaimed suddenly and looked down, as if overcome with shame. "I... There is nothing. I couldn't find work today."
So that's why she looked so depressed on the stairs.
He shrugged and glanced at his favorite Twi'lek. "Aayla, you should... Actually, no. I'll go buy us dinner. You help Shmi pack."
"Are you sure?" Aayla asked with worry.
"Of course. I can feel the Force calling me. I'm supposed to go. And I'm bringing Teeseven along. He'll keep me safe."
T7 whistled aloud, a sound that they now understood as a happy nod. Well, T7 was always happy for no reason. Probably a side-effect of being around Jedi too much.
Wasting no time, he left the hovel. The sun was setting, so there was still plenty of light, and the diner wasn't that far away.
However, the Force was indeed calling to him.
What is it this time?
####
At the same time, back in the Skywalker hovel, Shmi tried to get to know more about this young Twi'lek named Aayla. She sympathized with her species a lot, being the constant subject of slavery throughout the galaxy.
But she chose not to talk about it. As a slave, now an ex-slave herself, she knew what not to discuss. Still, she first let some time pass and got used to Aayla's presence in her home. With her help, she packed a lot of bags and boxes of tools that Ani used.
"Is Ani alright? I heard that Obi-Wan Kenobi will teach him now." She finally asked, curious about her son and the Order.
"He's doing well. He won't become a Padawan just yet, as he needs to finish his youngling training first. But I did hear Master Kenobi's going to take him as his Padawan. My Master and Aren always said he's among the finest Jedi in the Order, so don't worry. Aren even gave me a holo recording of Anakin's training."
Shmi held her breath and watched Aayla take out a smaller, far more advanced holotab. Then, it started projecting above the flat screen. It really was her Ani, smiling, meditating, and training with other younglings. While he stood out amongst children much shorter, it still warmed her heart.
"He... he looks like a child now. On Tatooine, he carried far too much. Far too much for someone his age." Shmi said, her lips trembling as her eyes remained fixed on the holoprojection. "I will live for him, for as long as I can. And I will never forget what you and Arenval have done for me."
"Oh, don't worry so much about it. Aren might look serious and stern, but he has his reasons. Deep down, he's really soft. When we were little, he wouldn't train with animals after the first one got scared. He's a good person."
Shmi simply nodded. She had noticed it by now. As a slave, she had learned to read people's moods, and whenever Arenval had smiled, it never seemed genuine.
"Arenval... seems older than his years. I felt as if I were speaking with Master Jinn."
"He looked up to Master Jinn," Aayla said. "Aren is special. He's been fighting an uphill battle since the day he was born. Grandmaster Yoda himself took him as his Padawan. Master Jinn trained him, too, along with plenty of other Masters. But his condition couldn't be helped if he stayed at the Jedi Temple. So when he left, I went with him."
Shmi stopped packing the bag and turned her gaze to the Twi'lek Jedi. "If it's alright to ask... is he unwell? You mentioned a condition."
"No, he's not sick. It's just…"
Shmi noticed hesitation. She knew better than most that everyone has things they don't want to discuss. Sad things most of the time. "You don't have to tell me if it's too personal."
"No, he told me to be honest with you. You'll be living with us, so you deserve to know. But... no one really has the answer. Aren was..."
Shmi let Aayla take her time. She could feel the importance of this. The Twi'lek looked emotional just talking about it. She wanted to console her, but she didn't know how to.
"My Master told me most of it. Eighteen years ago, Aren was found all alone in a deep underworld sewage on Coruscant. Master said he was only a day old, maybe just a few hours. Grandmaster Yoda found him because Aren was born with a strong connection to the Force, but only to the Dark Side. Since he was born, he's had to fight that darkness just to keep it from corrupting him."
Aayla swallowed, her voice trembling.
"My Master said someone sinister must have performed Force experiments on him... Well, he's trying to learn how to better fight the darkness now."
Shmi stood frozen for some time, silently staring at Aayla. Then, without thinking much, she just walked over to her and pulled her into an embrace. She had no words to offer since she couldn't think of any way to help them.
"He must be very important to you," Shmi whispered.
She felt Aayla nod against her shoulder, so she patted her back. Once again, Shmi learned to never judge another person. You can never tell what stories they carry behind them.
Hiss!
Just then, the hovel's door slid open.
Shmi gently eased back from the embrace and looked with confusion. Arenval was carrying something in his arms, hidden under his removed black cloak. Behind him, T7 was carrying bags of food.
"What’s this now?" Aayla inquired, quickly wiping her eyes. "Did you free another slave?"
"I believe so. Where should I set her? She's extremely fragile."
"This way." Shmi quickly moved and led them into her own bedroom. She removed the blanket and made some space.
Silently, she watched as Arenval placed the person on the bed and then removed the cloak, revealing who it was. She was small and ethereally beautiful. Shiny, tan-colored skin that radiated actual light. Pointy toes, human features, but utterly beautiful. The hair was long and pale green.
"Who is she?" Aayla asked. "Looks like a young child."
"She is a young child, a Ghostling," an answer came from Arenval. "This is Arawynne, a princess from Datar. The Force led me to her, chained behind a rundown cantina. The owner was convinced she was a fairy and that she would bring luck to his business. Poor thing was sold to Gardulla—"
"Ah! Ani once told me he and Kitster saved a few angels. It was before the podrace," Shmi exclaimed.
Arenval nodded. "Well, escaping Tatooine is never easy, and the smuggler arranged to take them turned on them. All her friends were captured. She tried to hide, but the cantina owner found her and kept her.
“Ghostlings are prized for their beauty and rarity, as pets and slaves. Trouble is, they come from a low-gravity world. They're so fragile that one careless touch can break a bone."
"What happened to the cantina owner?" Aayla asked.
"What happens to slave owners."
Shmi felt a momentary chill at that moment. It was short-lived, but she knew the source of it already. The fight Aayla had told her about, it seemed Arenval was still fighting it.
"Have everything packed by sunrise. We'll leave at once. I gave this child my word I would take her home, and I mean to keep that promise. For now, I'll rest on the roof."
Shmi quickly stirred. "You don't have to. I can arrange another bedding for—"
But she felt Aayla's hand on her shoulder, and noticed the Twi'lek shaking her head. She realised her mistake and moved away, letting Arenval go to the roof.
She just watched him vanish through the door and the stairs.
"Will he be okay?" Shmi asked.
"He will be. He's been doing it for years now. Just... believe in him, Shmi."
####
On the rooftop, Arenval quickly sat down cross-legged and closed his eyes. He started meditating, emptying all the thoughts from his mind, and only focused on the inside of his body. It helped a lot; it always did.
However, it didn't do much that night. For an hour, he tried to earnestly meditate, but his mind constantly moved towards what had happened at Watto's ship. The red string of words was still floating above T7's optical sensor.
Fuck it!
With a snap, he opened his eyes. Not to his surprise, T7 was already there, resting on standby in a corner, looking all innocent.
"Teeseven, come here. What exactly is going on? You gave me another notification when I saved the Ghostling. Mind telling me what all this is?"
"T7 = Updated // Update = New Features!"
"I understand, but where did it come from? I doubt the company that made you even realizes your kind still exists."
T7 let out a big whistle. "Answer = Internal Update // Update = Always there. Only needed trigger."
"So, you know what this is?"
"T7 = Confused // This Update = first time finding."
"And why does it want a Sith name? Aren't you supposed to be a Jedi droid?"
"T7 + Jedi = Best friends forever // Sith Name = Access Code // Aren = Not Sith. Just with Sith name."
"Buddy, that notification said Crush Opposition. That's a Sith ability. You're seriously going to teach me that?"
"Sith Ability = Force Ability // Depends = How you use // Dark Side Inhibitor = Helps fight Dark Side."
Arenval scratched his head and stared at the red projected line. It was all too unusual, but then again, a boy was conceived by the Force itself. He reckoned this was just another Force shenanigan.
"Alright, let's go with Darth Knull then. Let's see if you really got Crush Opposition stored."
Ting!
[Sith Name Accepted!]
[SSS-Assistant Fully Activated!]
[Name - Arenval TythonStatus - SithAge - 18Talents Found - Mechu-deru(S+), Dark Side(?), Summon Fear(S+)Slavecoins - 200]
Ting!
[Welcome to SSS-Assistant, your Slave Savior Sith Assistant. This system is designed to assist you in the eradication of slavery across the galaxy. The path ahead is long, but you will not walk it alone. SSS-Assistant will guide your growth and help forge you into the greatest Sith to have ever lived.]
Ting!
[Shop - Open]
[Pocket Space - Open]
[Quest Log - Open]
[Ability Log - Open]
[Inventory - Open]
"..."
Arenval stared at all the nonsense T7 was writing in front of his face. He almost felt like smacking him in the hope it would fix him.
"I don't play games, Teeseven. Put this away."
"Aren = Not Friend? // If Friend = Touch Inventory."
Hearing T7's sad whistles, Arenval just sighed and did as the droid said. He tried to tap on the Inventory, fully expecting his hand to pass through since it was just a hologram.
Tap!
But no, his finger actually touched something solid. It was also warm and… he felt a strange connection. A biological one, unrelated to the Force.
Pop!
And just then, something appeared out of thin air and fell into his other hand, perfectly, like it was meant to be there. It was red, golden, in the shape of a triangular prism, and it shone a red light. It whispered to Arenval; it spoke of great power, promises, and dark things.
"T7 = Activating Force Training Field"
"Hm?" Arenval looked up and noticed a small dome had formed around his body and T7. It came out of T7's head like a light and made a dome. It was translucent, just faintly visible, and also red in color.
"What the hell is this? No!" He quickly put the triangular prism on the ground. "Where did a Sith holocron come from? Is this Crush Opposition?"
"Aren = Smart! // Dome = Stop Aren from affecting others when training."
Arenval didn't touch the holocron. Instead, he tapped on the inventory again, and the holocron disappeared. Then, he quickly tapped on Shop. Instead of something insane, a long catalog was projected by T7. It was divided into parts, weapons, vehicles, raw materials, and other things. In there, things were priced with Slavecoins.
But at the bottom of the page, it said that buying won’t magically teleport the item, and he has to go pick it up from the available location. But safety was guaranteed.
“This is… all real?” He muttered to himself and quickly tapped on the Pocket Space option. He could feel it, like he had access to a secret space where he could just throw and summon things from. It wasn’t big, just a meter by a meter.
Pop!
He grabbed his lightsaber and tried to imagine putting it in that space. The lightsaber vanished instantly.
“Teeseven… am I dreaming? Isn’t this too much? I don’t feel the Force at all, so what is all this? Magic?”
T7 angrily whistled.
“Update = Not Magic! // Save Slave = Earn Slavecoin // Finish Quest = Ability location, holocron, and Dark Side Inhibitor increase.”
Arenval inhaled a very deep breath and rubbed both hands on his face. He knew what this was, what it meant. But it appeared now, after he had battled the Dark Side for eighteen years. That meant eighteen years wasted.
And it appeared right after I saved Shmi.
“Alright… let’s see the quest log then.” He tapped the option.
[Quest Log - Updating!]
Ting!
[New Minor Quest - Pest Control!Description - I hate sand, and I hate bugs.Goal - Kill Gardulla the Hutt.Reward - Dark Side Inhibitor +0.5%, Force Navigation]
This has to be a joke.
Ting!
[New Minor Quest - Pest Control Volume 2!Description - I hate sand, and I hate bugs once again.Goal - Kill Jabba the Hutt.Reward - Dark Side Inhibitor +1%, Mask (Sith Alchemy)]
How is this a minor quest?
[New Major Quest - Savior of the Sand!Description - To end slavery, one must burn its root.Goal - Liberate Tatooine.Reward - Dark Side Inhibitor +5%, Darkshear, Force Drain]
“...”
At that point, Arenval even stopped thinking. He leaned back on his arms, dumbly staring at the hologram. All three quests were impossible for him at the current time. Maybe killing Gardulla was possible, but the other tw—
Ting!
[New Critical Quest - Rise of the Sith!Description - The root grows because the seed exists. Exterminate the seed.Goal - Eradicate or control Hutt Cartel.Reward - Dark Side Inhibitor +15%, Supernova(Sith Magic), Memory Rub]
That was it. Arenval fell backwards flat on his back, eyes looking up at the stars. His heart was pounding in his chest. The quests, they had signs, a clear direction. SSS-Assistant didn’t just want to eradicate slavery; it wanted to maintain that status as well.
“Teeseven… are you seeing this? I doubt even the Emperor and Vader together at their prime could manage the last one, let alone me. It's going to take a whole navy, and then some. This is impossible."
Grrr~
T7’s wheels rolled, and the large droid stopped right beside his head, giving out loud, happy whistles. Then, a small utility arm came out of its chest and patted Arenval’s forehead.
“T7 + Aren = Save Galaxy!”
“...”