The Tides of Fate

[baccie3]

*The Shadourian attack on the Bendu Temple took them all completely by surprise. He did not even have a chance to make it to the secure Command Center. As he had run towards it, the ceilings began to collapse on top of him. Before it fell, he helped as many people out as he could before being caught underneath the rubble. Now, he was using every ounce of strength within him to remove the rubble from ontop of him. Calling upon the Force, he sent a wave of energy from his hands that sent the rocks exploding to the far sides of the hall. He stepped out, his face bleeding and his body battered. Though he should have been thinking of the injured and devestated souls in the villages and the temple, all he could think about was his grandfather and how right he was. He had to speak with him, to find out what he had to do. Running up to a Priest, he told him to go and find his son to make sure he was alright. When the Priest ran to find Ussej IV, the High Priest ran towards the hangar and stepped into a small shuttlecraft to take him to the Holy Ridge at the peak of the Ashlan Mountains.

Tatsujin, Dashin, Nefarius....Mannux. All of those names would go down in the history of the Bendu as names that caused suffering. It was unfortunate that the former Chancellor’s name would be placed in there, but because Bendu history would be written by biased Priests there was nothing he could do, considering.....no, he would not dwell on that. All he could think about was getting to the top of those mountains. He was prepared for any critiscm that the Shaman of the Whills was to give him.

Within minutes, the ship came to rest on the Holy Ridge. Knowing what he needed to do, he took three Stones of Power that he had always kept with him and lined them up in a certain order, an order he knew would summon the great Shaman of the Whills. He had to know what was next, even if it meant that the people below would have to suffer without him for a few minutes more.*

 

[Ussej Padric Bac]

*For weeks, the spirit of the great Shaman of the Whills was one with the winds of the Force, not materializing for any reason whatsoever. These were desperate times, and although he had the answers to almost any question that one could throw his way he chose to meditate when he was not needed so that he could be fully prepare to guide those who needed guidance and lead those that needed to be led. However, his thoughts were broken by the angered cries of his grandson. He had been expecting him, though he did not think it would be this soon. He chose not to bring his grandson to him, nor did he chose to materialize before him. He would simply speak to him through the windows of the Force, acting as nothing more than a disembodied voice speaking the will of The Skywalker and the will of the Force of Others.*

"I know you have a great many questions, my grandson, and I will answer them as best I can. Just know that you may not like the answers that I give you and that what I tell you is concrete. The tide of fate cannot be stopped, even by me."

 

[baccie3]

*He knew not what to say, but could anyone really know what to say at a time like this? He had exiled an ancient order of guardians of peace and justice away from where they were needed the most, he fell out of love, he almost lost the one he thought he loved due to sheer stupidity and now the order that he had sworn to protect years ago was in shambles due to his actions. Add to that, the Shaman of the Whills being ever-so-grim in his commentary. What would he do? What would anyone do? Could anyone answer that question? Perhaps, in time, but now he himself could not.*

“What am I to do? I can’t answer this for myself. Do I rebuild the Order and hope that the Shadourians do not return? Do I go after the Shadourians myself?”

 

[Ussej Padric Bac]

*The Shaman nodded, though of course that was not all. The time was rapidly approaching when the destiny of Ussej Padric Bac III would finally be fulfilled, far sooner that he and The Skywalker had originally intended. But, the High Priest accelerated the events on his own. Though his destiny was being controlled somewhat by the divine presence of The Skywalker, divinity does not have a full hold over a destiny. That was something they had all come to realize and that was something that his grandson would soon come to realize.*

“You are looking at things in too narrow of a scope and only looking to the present. Rebuilding the Bendu Order is not your responsibility. Leave that to Josiah. Your destiny is about to be fulfilled, Ussej, and it does not just involve things that are happening around you now. Fulfilling your destiny will shape events that will be happening for tens of thousands of years.”

*He knew in whatever heart his everlasting presence had that his grandson would not fully comprehend what was happening around him. He himself did not fully comprehend his own destiny, even after he was dead. The same happened with his own son. But, in time, the Bendu High Priest would learn. In time, everything would be set right. Just not today.*

 

[baccie3]

*What his grandfather was saying was something he did not expect. He was not to help rebuild the Bendu Order? Was he to go off on some new crusade to make up for his previous errors? It was all a mystery to him, and he had a feeling that it would remain a mystery to him for all the days of his life. In his heart, he had an idea of what he would have to do but nothing was certain. However, he couldn't bear to think of not helping the Bendu Order rebuild. After all they had done for him, after all they had suffered because of him, wasn't this the least he could do for them?*

"How can you say I'm not to help rebuild the Order? This is my fault in the first place. I won't leave them!"

*No force in the universe, save the will of the Force of Others itself, could change his mind on that. These were his people and they had just suffered and died because of his own actions. He had told them that they would reach the Promised Land one day, and now he had realized that this world itself was the Promised Land. He had to be here with them.*

 

[Ussej Padric Bac]

*Had he materialized before his grandson, he would have shaken his head. But, even if he could not physically do so, the message remained the same. The Bendu High Priest truly did have yet to understand the true meaning of destiny not only for himself, but for everyone.*

“Destiny, Ussej.”

*In a matter of weeks, his grandson would know what he was talking about. The Holy War, Carden Mannux, the child of Ussej Padric Bac III and Isabella Dashin....they were all connected. No mere mortal would be able to realize that, of course, as mortals do not have the power of foresight in a manner such as the divine. But, they were connected. They were connected more than anyone could possibly imagine.*

“Kage Tatsujin. Carden Mannux. Kalel Kitsune. Isabella Dashin. Your destiny lies with them, my grandson. Almost one hundred millennia ago, The Skywalker prophesized a great many things. One of these prophecies was the Prophecy of the Nine Prophets. The first Prophet has already taken his place amongst us....and the second will do so very soon.”

*He knew that his message had gotten across to him, and hopefully his grandson would realize that he himself was the second Prophet spoken of in the Prophecy.*

 

[baccie3]

*It was him? He was the second of the nine prophets spoken of in The Skywalker's prophecy? It didn't make any sense to him as to why this was the case at first, but judging by the fact that his grandfather was the one spoken of in The Prophecy of The Voyager he knew not to underestimate the will of the Force of Others. But, who was the first? That, he did not know. The Prophecy of the Nine Prophets ran through his head, hoping that he would find some sort of clue to the matter.

There will come a day of great turmoil
When great men will rise
And great men will fall
They will be aided by nine others,
Chosen by the Lord himself,
In their divine and spiritual quest for
Power
Greatnes
Knowlege
Peace
Justice.
Each will dwell within the realm of God
When the great men complete their tasks
And their spirits will dwell forever
In the land of Tirnanog.*

"I'm sorry, grandfather, but I still don't understand."

 

[Ussej Padric Bac]

*The Shaman smiled, knowing that this was of course how things were destined to turn out. But, now, it was time for him to go and impart the last words of advice onto his grandchild before he fulfilled his destiny.*

"Behind you, a large structure will appear. It is the Temple of the Jedi Bendu, and it is shown only to those who are worthy of laying eyes upon it. The Temple of the Jedi Bendu was built almost one hundred thousand millenia ago by the original Jedi Bendu who first set foot upon Kal'Shabbol. Inside, you will find a large chamber. Inside the chamber will be an altar, and placed upon the altar will be The Sword of The Skywalker. You will need it for your final task. Take great care of it, Ussej, and be sure to have it brought back to the Temple."

*With that, the essence that was the Shaman of the Whills disappeared back into the Winds of the Ashla and the small tremor that it left within the Force of Others signaled to the Bendu High Priest that it was time for him to return to the broken Bendu Temple and prepare for his final tasks.*

 

[baccie3]

*As the essence of his grandfather left, the Bendu High Priest turned to see the Temple of the Jedi Bendu appear before him. The structure was magnificent, even grander than the Bendu Temple of Light. How the Jedi Bendu were able to construct such a colossal structure was beyond him, but surprises were something that he was now starting to get used to.

At the base of the temple, he looked around in confusion. He was unsure of where to begin looking for the sword, known throughout the ages as “the brand Excelsior”. He stepped through the gates, taking no more than a few steps before wincing in shock as the doors slammed shut behind him. He was taken aback by the strange voices that were seemingly echoing throughout the walls, chanting “Ashla” many times. The Force of Others flowed through him, the sensation soothing and relaxing to him. It felt as if he was underwater, given the ability to breathe. Everything around him, even the man made objects, seemed to glow with life. The magnificent staircase before him seemed to shine the way upwards, almost as a guide to where he needed to go next.

He slowly made his way up the stairs, careful not to disturb any of the artifacts that lined the walls. As he moved further upwards, he could see that the walls were lined with pictures of ancient men and women, some not even Jedi Bendu. Though many of the ancient portraits of the Jedi Bendu appeared to be interesting, it was a non-Jedi Bendu that captured his attention.

On the far wall was the portrait of someone he felt to be strangely familiar. The man was a human male, brown hair with hazel eyes. It wasn’t until he saw the name underneath that he knew who it was. The nameplate read “Johasn Bec”, which meant “Jonathan Bac” in the ancient Ashlan language. The image of his ancestor, the first Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, was refreshing to him. Perhaps, one day, after he too made his way into the realm of spirits, he would be able to meet his legendary ancestor. But, for now, he knew he could stay no longer. He had a task to complete, and a tool to find before he could complete his task.

As he made his way to the top of the stairway, a golden door stood before him. Before he had a chance to open it, the door flung open in a spectacle of light that amazed him and startled him at the same time. A three-way intersection now caught his eyes. Though each hall appeared to be the same, one glowed with the light of the Ashla and signaled him to come forward. The voices continued to echo as he stepped down the hall, sending a shiver down his spine.

One final door now stood before him. It too glowed, so he knew that he was now at the right place. The voices of the Ashla echoed around him, stronger than they had before. He still could not tell where the voices came from, or if it came from anyone at all. The door opened before him, and a bright light shot out throughout the area. As the light dissipated, he could see that in the back of the chambers sat an altar and upon the altar was a sword, just as the Shaman of the Whills said there would be.

He stepped towards the Sword of The Skywalker, the power of the seemingly simple piece of medal becoming overwhelming. As he looked out the majestic windows, he could see that the sun had set and the moons had risen. The other planets of the system shown bright, as did the moons, adding to the power of what was happening around him.

Finally, he now stood before the altar. There he drew forth the brand Excelsior, and o’er him, drawing it, the winter moons, brightening the skirts of a long cloud, ran forth and sparkled keen with frost against the hilt: for all the haft twinkled diamond sparks, myriads of topaz-lights, and jacinth-work of subtlest jewelry.

A surge of power, a flash of light - everything began to change. The temple around him began to disappear, and it was as if he was being swept up in the Winds of the Ashla. For a moment, he thought he had died, but that all changed when he then saw the damaged Bendu of Temple of Light in front of him. Something, something powerful, had taken him back to where he was before flying to the Ashlan Mountains. That only made things easier for him. It was time to begin his long journey back to the Outer Rim territories. It was time to begin his long journey to find the Shadourians. It was time to begin his long journey back to find Kalel and Isabella. But, first, there was someone he had to say goodbye to. He pulled out a comlink, quickly flipping it on.*

“Josiah, please meet me in the command center. Have my son join us.”

 

[baccie3]

*He stepped into the damaged command center, watching as the injured were being pulled to safety. The command center had been built stronger than most of the Temple of Light, though there was still significant damage to its infrastructure. He made his way to one of the computer consoles, surveying the damage reports that were coming in. He turned as he felt the presence of Josiah and Ussej IV behind him, giving him some sign of relief. He signaled for Josiah to come towards him so they could speak privately, and the Priest followed suit.*

“Have our forces prepare to board Ashla’s Light,” Ussej told him. “We’re going after the Shadourians.”

“Why,” the Priest asked him. “What good will more violence do?”

“If we don’t take out the Shadourians,” the High Priest said, “then they will continue to launch attacks against the Jedi Order. The galaxy cannot afford that right now, what with the Emperor Nefarius holding his grip over the worlds of the Republic.”

“Why the sudden change of heart,” Josiah asked.

“The Shaman,” Ussej told him. “Think of this as a divine command.”

*Josiah smiled and stepped away, making the arrangements to leave for Shaderon. Ussej had been sure to get the coordinates to Shaderon months ago. Once relations between the Bendu and the Shadourians were becoming strained, he knew that he would need them just in case one side betrayed the other. How the Shadourians were able to find the location of Kal’Shabbol he had no idea. As he turned, he saw his son standing there. He had a look as if he knew what was going to happen, though the boy would not admit it. Ussej stepped towards his son and kneeled down, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.*

“I’m sorry. I know I told you that I wouldn’t be leaving.”

 

[Ussej Padric Bac IV]

*The boy smiled, hiding his grief. He did not want his father to leave, that much was certain, but he knew that he had to. Ussej Padric Bac III was more than his father. Ussej Padric Bac III was a hero, and that was a job that never ended.*

"I understand why, though. Training has made me a bit wiser. If there's one thing I've learned from Sir Rendar, it's that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few....or the one. This time, the one is me. Go kick some ass, Dad."