The training grounds behind the revitalized Tython temple rang with sound. As Jedi go through a number of obstacle courses, and sparring duels against droids, and lightsabers.
Stone pillars rose from the earth and dropped back just as quickly. like the broken teeth of some ancient giant, each no wider then a small circle, spaced just far enough apart to punish hesitation. Wind swept through the open space, carrying the smell of nature and stone, the hum of hovering machinery, and the sharp crack of stun fire.
Cain landed lightly on one pillar, knees bending as his weight settled. Sweat clung to his brow, his breath controlled but heavy. His goldish black lightsaber snapped up just in time to deflect a stun bolt that would have caught him in the ribs.
Another bolt came from above. Cain twisted, letting it pass inches from his shoulder as he pushed off the pillar, flipping backward through the air.
He landed on the next stone just as Master Plo Koon descended from above, in his blind left side spot. Plo's blue lightsaber already in motion.
Then they CLASH. The impact rattled Cain's legs, as he fought to find balance.
Plo's Form V was immaculate. Shien's redirection blended seamlessly into Djem So's power. Each counterstrike came with weight behind it, forcing Cain to brace, slide, and adapt. Plo never overextended. Every one of his movements was measured, every step precise.
Cain countered with a hybrid style of his own making.
Form V met Form III as Cain absorbed blows, then redirecting them with Soresu's tight economy. It wasn't perfect but it kept him alive when overwhelmed. When openings appeared, he let Vapaad bleed through, striking from unpredictable angles, and a sudden acceleration. Those strikes were meant to overwhelm rather than outlast his opponents.
Then the two moved.
Running across the tops of pillars, lightsabers flashing as they exchanged blows mid-stride. Cain vaulted over a low sweeping strike, spun, and brought his blade down in a vertical arc that Plo met with one hand, locking sabers for a split second before breaking away.
Above them, six training droid spheres swarmed them. But they were focused on Cain.
They fired in coordinated patterns, crossfire grids meant to force constant motion. Cain felt the pressure immediately, as his awareness stretched thin, His attention split between his master and the droids.
A stun bolt barely grazed his thigh ,and the left side of his face with his closed eye. Cain hissed but didn't slow.
He rolled forward as Plo advanced, came up into a rising strike that Plo deflected effortlessly, then pivoted into a spinning kick that Plo blocked with his forearm, using the momentum to shove Cain backward.
Cain barely caught himself on the edge of a pillar. Sweat dripped down his neck. His legs burned.
While Plo didn't show it any signs of exhaustion. The Kel Dor master moved like the years meant nothing to him. Considering he has three hundred plus years of combat experience refined into his being. This wasn't surprising to Cain
They leapt again. This time Cain pushed harder, calling on the Force to propel himself faster, sharper. He felt the familiar pressure build in his right eye as shatterpoints flared. While the phantom pull of the left, but he resisted it.
Instead, he relied on instinct, and his training. His focused on sound, and on the subtle shifts in the air that told him where danger was coming from. Then he would let the shatterpoints direct him to the flow of the attacks.
When using his left eye, it was closer to being called precognition. The way he could predict movements, attacks, and more sometimes. But it was nowhere near perfect. Just enough to barely cover for his left side blind spot.
Another exchange. CLASH—CLASH—SPARKS.
Cain ducked a horizontal cut, came up with a thrust that Plo redirected into a stun bolt's path, the energy dispersing harmlessly against the saber.
Cain grinned through clenched teeth. Then Plo stepped in close.
The master's blade struck with sudden force, battering Cain's guard down. Cain staggered, boots scraping stone, nearly losing his footing as Plo followed with a shoulder check that sent him skidding, as Cain backflipped to the next pillar.
Cain caught himself, chest heaving. The droids closed in as, stun bolts poured down. Cain raised his saber, and then he suddenly stopped, and opened the left.
The world around him fractured. As Cain saw the flaws in the world and people around him. He saw the force in everything alive, and read the brief flow of the events before him.
It wasn't sight as it once was, but something else, colors bleeding into one another, Force signatures glowing like stars in the sky. The droids were blinding points of energy. Cain could see the stun bolts were ripples, distortions in the air before they even fired.
Cain barely moved. Fixe micromovements all over his body. A tilt of the head. A shift of the shoulder. A step to the side. Bolt after bolt missed him by centimeters, passing harmlessly through where he had been.
Then Cain rushed towards his master. Lightsaber ready to strike, but what he saw next surprised him. Plo Koon deactivated his saber. Cain's blade stopped an inch from where his master had stood moments before and shut off with a hiss.
The droids powered down, drifting away. Silence fell over the training ground, broken only by Cain's breathing.
Plo nodded once. "You have come far in the past six months, my Padawan."
Cain closed his left eye, and placed the eye patch back on it, and exhaled slowly. Sweat dripping down his face. "Thank you, Master. I'm… getting used to it. Not relying on my left eye. And using it only when I need to."
Plo stepped closer, resting his hands behind his back. "I am sure you will find a way to use both eye's in balance. Give it time my padawan, that is something you and I have plenty of."
Cain nodded. "Yes master."
Plo glanced toward the temple. "I believe we can call it here for today. I have to get ready a meeting with the Baran Do Sages of Dorin. My people are eager to hear about this new order you are forming. While I do that will you train with Master Fay next, or perhaps Bo-Katan?"
Cain shook his head. "No. Master Fay is with Derren and Seris and some others. They're training under Adi Gallia and Etain Tur-Mukan. To learn Battle Meditation. From what I hear Derren is excelling well like always."
Plo hummed thoughtfully. " I see. Then perhaps it is time you visit the Bendu. I know you been putting it off for a while. Don't you think it's about time you met him."
Cain stiffened.
The thought had been hanging over him for months. A mix of fear, uncertainty, and the knowledge that once he met the Bendu, things would change. The bendu could see right through him, but he could also help the order, but I doubt he will straightforwardly.
Cain nodded slowly. "Your right master. I have been putting it off, and should take care of it."
Before either of them could speak again, footsteps approached.
"Hey, Cain."
Anakin emerged from the edge of the training ground, sweat-damp hair pushed back, his new arm moving with ease. Obi-Wan followed a few steps behind, expression thoughtful.
"Me and Obi-Wan just finished training," Anakin said. "Had a feeling you might need me for something."
Cain smiled faintly. Perfect timing, he thought "You had a good feeling," Cain said. "I'm gonna call a meeting."
The meeting hall filled quickly.
Bo-Katan stood with her helmet tucked under one arm. Seris stood next to Cain with Master Fay next to her, her ears twitching slightly as she listened. Anakin leaned against a pillar beside Derren, Barriss nearby was eating fruit, as Master Kuro and Shaak Ti stood beside him. Obi-Wan look at the hollow projector that showed a galaxy map. Cain stood at the head of the round table observing everyone as his mind raised with ideas.
He rubbed the scar around his eye patch. A habit he took up up after getting it. He did it whenever he was deep in thought. Then he spoke.
"Okay everyone It's time," he said, voice steady. "We start making moves to get our new order more grounded. We found a system that's works when it comes to training and getting use to Tython."
He turned to Bo-Katan first. "Bo. I need you to go to Kamino, and halt their clone production."
Bo's brow rose "You want me to do what?". Cain handed her a small data chip.
"This will hack into their internal systems, and give us a kill switch to their whole cloning operation.
" Cain continued. "It's not permeant but it will give us enough time to get things under control."
Bo studied the chip. "So we're holding their facility hostage with this?" Cain nodded." It's Josa special. She had help from me slicing together the different programs."
Bo smirked. "I didn't know you were good at slicing."
Cain shrugged. "I'm not as good as Josa, but I'm not bad either. I surprisingly picked it up well."
Anakin nodded. "He's right. Cain help me improve my maul training program a lot, and helps tune up the star ships all the time. Man has the magic touch for technology. Even though his piloting skills could use a lot of work."
Bo nodded "What do I do after production is halted?" she asked. "They still have ARC troopers and command staff on call,"
Cain said. "Tell them to look at the data on the chip. Halt all clone production. Ground Jango and the Mandalorian. Until back up comes, I'll be there soon as I can."
Bo nodded. "I'll gather my people."
Cain turned to Seris. "I have an important mission for you."
Her ears flicked forward. "Name it."
"I need you to go to Dathomir. The Mother Talzin haven't answered my calls. I need you to see whats going on."
Seris nodded immediately. "I can do that." Master Fay and Shaak Ti stepped forward. "I would like to go with her." Fay said. Shaak Ti inclined her head. "She is my padawan , so I will be going as well."
Cain nodded. "Of course masters." Then he faced Anakin. "Anakin. I'm going to Atollon to meet the Bendu. I want you and Derren with me."
Anakin and Derren looked at each other and grinned. "Of course." Anakin said.
Then Derren chuckled. " From the look in your eye. You made it sound like something serious."
Cain rubbed the edge of his scar beneath the eyepatch. "It is. Because we're stopping somewhere first."
The room went quiet as he paused. "We need to head Lotho Minor, Where Maul is" Cain said.
Anakin's smile vanished. As a rush of emotion came to his being. "Please tell me we're going there to finally kill him."
Cain shook his head. "No. Were going there to save him."
The air went cold. " Why Cain? He's a monster," Anakin said sharply. "A weapon of the Sith. He killed Qui-gon"
"He's also Mother Talzin's son," Cain replied. "She like your mother was gonna lose him to slavery of her people or gave him to gain power. Either way, but she lost him."
Anakin's voice rose. "She gave him to Palpatine. She's nothing like my mother." Obi-Wan placed a hand on Anakin's shoulder. "Anakin calm yourself."
Cain met Anakin's gaze, unflinching. " Anakin if you need to you can fight him him first. And if you decide killing him is right, I won't stop you. I will talk to Talzin about him if that is the case."
Everyone looked at Cain with surprise in their eyes
Barriss spoke softly. "But killing someone. That isn't the Jedi way."
Cain turned to her. "We're not Jedi anymore. We're becoming something new. We will have to kill people sometimes. Especially if it brings balance to the Force."
Obi-Wan nodded slowly. "That's why I'm going. You won't have to do this alone."
Cain shook his head. " Actually I need you with Bo-Katan on Kamino."
Obi-Wan studied Cain and Anakin both, then sighed. "Then come back alive, and in one piece this time. I'm saying that to all of you."
Everyone nodded.
Master Kuro stepped forward entering the room with Adi Gallia, Taria Damsin, and Quinlan Vos. "We'll hold things down here on planet."
Cain bowed his head. " Thank you masters, and everyone. Now let's move."