Chapter 17:
– Silas –
A blaster was suddenly shoved right in front of my masked face, and I flinched involuntarily, jerking back slightly.
"Who are you?" barked the Naboo guard holding the weapon, his finger twitching nervously on the trigger. His eyes darted anxiously toward the smoking hallway behind us, then back again. "What were those explosions just outside the palace?"
Beside me, Vista let out an audible growl, pushing herself upright despite her obvious exhaustion. "Alright, listen up!" she shouted, planting her hands firmly on her hips. "I'm hungry, I'm tired, and it's way past my bedtime! We're superheroes, we just saved your asses, so how about you get that gun out of Dragonborn's face before I give you so much vertigo you start pooping out your mouth?"
The guard blinked rapidly, clearly baffled by the angry rant from the small teenage girl standing defiantly before him. "Superheroes?" he repeated incredulously, lowering his blaster just a fraction, confusion overtaking hostility on his face.
Before he could say anything else, a calm voice cut through the tense silence.
"That's enough, Captain. Stand down." A young woman stepped forward gracefully from behind the line of guards. She was clad in ornate red robes. I recognized her instantly—but something told me this was the decoy, the handmaiden posing as the queen. She inclined her head respectfully toward us. "I am Padmé Amidala, Queen of Naboo. Please forgive my guards—they're understandably on high alert given our current circumstances."
I lifted a weary hand and waved it off, still catching my breath. "It's fine. I get it." Honestly, I wasn't too worried about the blaster anyway. My newfound Electromaster abilities probably meant I could short-circuit the thing with barely a thought as long as it was close enough.
Regular guns might've been a different story, but blasters? It was almost unfair.
Still eyeing us curiously, the fake queen stepped closer. "Though I must ask—what exactly did your companion mean by 'superhero'? Are you not Jedi?"
"They are not Jedi," a voice spoke up behind us, instantly recognizable.
I spun around. Two figures strode confidently down the hallway toward us, their robes billowing dramatically in their wake. The taller one with the wise eyes and rugged beard was unmistakably Qui-Gon Jinn. Beside him was the younger, clean-shaven Obi-Wan Kenobi, looking serious yet intensely curious.
Beside me, Vista practically bounced on the balls of her feet, letting out an embarrassingly excited squeal. "Oh my gosh, it's Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi!"
I groaned internally, barely resisting the urge to facepalm. She immediately went and blurted their names…
The two Jedi paused mid-stride, exchanging a brief, confused glance before Qui-Gon's lips twitched into a bemused smile. "I suppose our names are perhaps more familiar than other Jedi, given some of the…shenanigans we've found ourselves in?" He chuckled softly as Obi-Wan looked faintly embarrassed.
Vista cleared her throat awkwardly. "Uh, yeah… totally," she said lamely, cheeks flushing slightly. She shot me a nervous glance, clearly realizing she'd nearly blown our cover.
Good thing she stopped herself—I still wasn't sure exactly how much we wanted to share with these people about our real origins yet.
Qui-Gon suddenly leaned toward me, his intense gaze fixated squarely on my masked face. He studied my armor carefully, eyes narrowing slightly as his expression turned thoughtful. I felt distinctly uncomfortable beneath his scrutinizing stare—like he was trying to peel back the layers of my armor and see straight into my soul or something.
"Your powers," Qui-Gon began carefully, "I've never encountered anything quite like them. Where exactly were you trained? And your attire—it's unusual. Is there significance behind your choice of black armor?"
I frowned behind my mask, genuinely confused—and a little irritated—by his sudden interrogation. We'd just saved lives, blown away an entire droid army, and he was concerned about my fashion choices? Seriously?
"It's my superhero costume," I responded dryly, doing my best to sound as casual and confident as possible despite my exhaustion. "And it looks badass."
Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan both stared at me in momentary silence, the confusion on their faces almost palpable. Obi-Wan tilted his head slightly, clearly uncertain whether or not I was joking, while Qui-Gon's thoughtful expression briefly slipped into bewilderment.
Then, after a moment's hesitation, Qui-Gon chuckled softly, shaking his head in mild amusement. "I see… well, it's certainly distinctive, I'll give you that."
Vista let out another frustrated growl beside me, her hands balling into fists at her sides. "Now is not the time for twenty questions!" she snapped impatiently, glaring pointedly at Qui-Gon. "Dragonborn and I are both completely drained, and we all still have a literal army trying to kill us! We need to move!"
The fake Queen Amidala nodded quickly. "She's right—we can't linger here. Captain, assemble everyone quickly. We must get to the hangars now, before more droids arrive."
"Yes, Your Majesty," the captain replied, his demeanor instantly shifting to practiced discipline. He turned sharply, barking orders to his men, who swiftly fell into formation around the queen and her entourage.
Qui-Gon gave a single, approving nod. "We'll lead the way. Obi-Wan, keep your senses sharp."
"Of course, Master," Obi-Wan replied swiftly, his lightsaber at the ready but unignited, eyes scanning vigilantly as he took up position near Qui-Gon.
There were a couple of droids scattered around the hangar—nothing even close to the massive army we'd just annihilated outside—but they still snapped to attention immediately, raising their blasters.
"Kill them all!" one of the droids shouted monotonously, and they instantly opened fire.
I rolled my eyes beneath my mask. They weren't even bothering to ask us to surrender this time—not that it had ever worked out for them anyway.
Before Vista or I could even step forward, the Jedi reacted instantly. Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan surged ahead, leaping in front of our group as their lightsabers ignited with the famous electric hiss. The twin blades—one brilliant green, the other a humming blue—whirled effortlessly, deflecting blaster bolts back at the droids with pinpoint accuracy.
"So cool…" Vista breathed beside me, staring wide-eyed and mesmerized.
I couldn't exactly disagree. What we were seeing now was unlike anything the movies had ever shown us. the Jedi blurred forward in sudden bursts of supernatural speed, practically flickering across the hangar floor. Lightsabers flashed, spinning in arcs as droids were sliced to molten pieces in the blink of an eye.
In mere seconds, the entire hangar fell silent, littered with smoldering scrap metal.
Watching them move firsthand, it finally made sense to me why Jedi were feared so widely throughout the galaxy. Their reflexes, their reactions—they were faster even than me, despite my Dragonborn-enhanced senses.
Still, a small thought nagged at the back of my mind. Could I possibly use my new Electromaster abilities to push my own reflexes even further?
Or maybe I just needed more dragon souls—could that amplify my strength even more? Shit, didn't Tatooine have dragons? That was definitely something I'd have to look into…
My thoughts were abruptly interrupted as Captain Panaka's voice cut sharply through the hangar. "Everyone aboard—quickly! That silver cruiser is the only one large enough for all of us!"
Without wasting another second, we all hurried aboard, the palace guards ushering the queen and her handmaidens inside first.
Qui-Gon and Panaka swiftly headed for the cockpit, preparing for a rapid takeoff.
Vista slumped into a seat next to me, utterly exhausted but still buzzing with excitement. "We're really about to go to space!" she exclaimed, practically bouncing despite her obvious fatigue.
"Damn right we are," I chuckled, finding her enthusiasm contagious.
Across from us, Obi-Wan and one of the handmaidens—the real Queen Padmé–shared a confused glance.
"Wait," she asked carefully, clearly puzzled. "Neither of you have ever actually been to space before?"
Vista shook her head vigorously, eyes bright. "Nope! This is so cool. I've been dreaming about it my whole life!"
The ship shook violently as we rocketed through Naboo's atmosphere.
I gripped the armrests tightly, feeling my stomach lurch at every sudden drop and twist. Vista, despite her excitement earlier, looked suddenly pale and had her eyes screwed shut as she clutched at her seatbelt.
Outside the viewport, massive Trade Federation battleships loomed ominously, opening fire the instant they spotted us. A flurry of scarlet laser bolts streaked past, narrowly missing the sleek silver hull of our craft. More than a few blasts slammed directly into our shields, sending jarring vibrations throughout the ship's frame and setting off blaring alarms all around.
Thankfully, we had a Force-sensitive pilot at the helm. The Jedi must've been flying because, even with the intense bombardment we made it out! After another sharp bank and roll, the fire abruptly ceased as we finally broke free from the planet's orbit. I let out a shaky breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding.
"That was a close one," Obi-Wan muttered nearby, exhaling deeply as the alarms slowly faded away.
"A bit too close," Padmé murmured, clearly shaken but composed. She straightened herself, brushing imaginary wrinkles from her handmaiden disguise and forcing calmness back onto her face.
That was when it suddenly hit me. In all the chaos, I hadn't noticed until now, but we were definitely missing someone. Actually, "someone" might be the wrong word. Something?
An iconic alien. Jar Jar Binks.
"Wait," I asked suddenly, turning towards Obi-Wan. He glanced up at me curiously. "Did you or Qui-Gon run into a Gungan earlier? Back on Naboo, I mean?" I asked him.
Obi-Wan tilted his head slightly, looking genuinely confused. "A Gungan?" he repeated slowly, clearly searching his memory. "I'm sorry, but… what exactly is a Gungan?"
I blinked in surprise, momentarily taken aback by that response. That definitely wasn't what I'd expected him to say. Which clearly also meant 'no.'
Before I could respond further, Padmé spoke up from her seat beside Obi-Wan. "The Gungans have been extinct for decades now," she explained gently. "They… they waged war against the humans of Naboo years ago. My people tried again and again to negotiate peace, but the Gungans refused to stop. They just kept fighting, killing indiscriminately, until…" She paused, a shadow of regret flickering briefly across her features. "…until they were wiped out completely."
I stared at her, utterly dumbfounded. A warlike, genocidal Gungan race? Duh fuck? That definitely wasn't canon. It wasn't even remotely close.
I glanced over at Vista, wanting to see her reaction to this insane revelation, only to realize that she was already fast asleep, her head tilted sideways, blonde hair falling messily across her face. She was slumped against the window, breathing evenly and oblivious to everything around her.
I couldn't really blame her. By Brockton Bay standards, it was probably way past her bedtime, even if it had been morning on Naboo when we'd barely escaped. She'd probably crashed right after we'd entered hyperspace. Honestly, after all the shit we'd been through, she deserved the rest.
Carefully, I unbuckled myself and stood, gently adjusting Vista's position so she didn't topple out of the chair. Then I turned toward Padmé, quietly clearing my throat to get her attention. "Hey, is there someplace quiet where my partner can lie down? She's completely wiped out."
Padmé immediately stood, nodding with an understanding expression. "Of course. Follow me, I'll show you to one of the crew cabins."
"Thanks," I said gratefully, bending down to gently scoop Vista up. She murmured something unintelligible and buried her face into my shoulder, still deep asleep.
Once we reached the quiet crew cabin, I gently lowered Vista onto one of the narrow bunks, careful not to wake her. She barely stirred, murmuring softly before immediately sinking deeper into sleep. Poor kid was totally spent.
With Vista finally settled, I sighed, feeling my own exhaustion catching up with me. Without thinking much about it, I reached up and pulled my mask back, sliding my cowl down as well.
There was an immediate stunned silence.
Glancing up, I saw Padmé and Obi-Wan staring at me, both wide-eyed and slack-jawed, as if I'd suddenly grown another head or something.
Padmé recovered first, blinking rapidly as her cheeks flushed a faint shade of pink. "I—I didn't expect you to be so young," she said softly, almost stammering. Then she cleared her throat quickly, muttering under her breath, "…or so handsome."
What?
Obi-Wan, meanwhile, looked equally surprised, though his expression shifted quickly from shock to cautious curiosity. I just barely heard him mutter something to himself, eyes narrowing in thought. "His eyes…they aren't yellow," he whispered, sounding almost relieved. "Well, that's good, at least."
I paused, frowning in confusion as I processed what he'd said. Hold up—yellow eyes?
Wait? Did he seriously think I was a fucking Sith this whole time?
Well, shit.
No wonder Qui-Gon had been giving me the third degree about my outfit earlier. All that suspicion suddenly made sense—they thought I'd been channeling the goddamn Dark Side.
I opened my mouth, intending to set things straight immediately, then promptly closed it again. Honestly, that conversation was probably gonna take more energy than I currently had left. Fuck it. I could clarify things later—after Vista and I caught some much-needed Z's.
I stifled a yawn, giving Padmé and Obi-Wan a tired but reassuring smile. "Look, there's obviously been some…misunderstandings. I'll explain everything later. Right now, though, my friend and I really need some rest."
Padmé nodded quickly, still slightly flushed. "Of course. You two deserve it, after everything you've done for us."
Obi-Wan inclined his head politely as well, though the cautious curiosity hadn't entirely faded from his eyes. "Rest well," he said softly. "We'll speak again soon."
"Yeah," I replied, dragging my tired ass toward the bunk opposite Vista's and collapsing onto it heavily. "Looking forward to it."
– Obi-Wan –
Obi-Wan sat quietly beside his master, Qui-Gon Jinn, in the ship's cockpit several hours later. The gentle hum of hyperspace surrounded them, bathing the cabin in a soothing blue glow. Most of the passengers aboard the Naboo cruiser were fast asleep—completely exhausted after their harrowing escape—but Jedi didn't need sleep as often. In a pinch, the Force itself could refill their reserves of energy, though relying on that too frequently wasn't recommended.
Qui-Gon broke the silence first, glancing at his Padawan thoughtfully. "Obi-Wan, what are your thoughts on these...anomalies?"
Obi-Wan knew immediately who his master was referring to. The masked man who called himself 'Dragonborn' and the teenage girl named 'Vista'.
"Well," he began carefully, "I didn't have much chance to speak with either of them extensively. However, from what little I've gathered, neither seems to radiate the Dark Side. And the masked one—'Dragonborn'—he removed his hood and mask earlier. He's much younger than I expected. Normal features, ordinary appearance—quite human, really. And importantly," Obi-Wan paused slightly, meeting his master's questioning gaze, "his eyes were blue. Not Sithly yellow."
Qui-Gon nodded slowly, relief evident on his face. "Good. Though I've heard stories of powerful Sith Lords able to conceal their true appearance with dark magic, after speaking with him up close, I genuinely do not believe these two are Sith. Strange, powerful—but not Sith."
Obi-Wan let out a quiet breath of relief himself. Sith or not, anyone capable of unleashing destructive power like that warranted caution.
He hesitated briefly before turning toward his master again. "What about the girl, Master? The one named Vista? You mentioned before how brightly the Force seemed to sing around her."
Qui-Gon's brow furrowed slightly, and he gazed out at the mesmerizing blue streaks of hyperspace thoughtfully. "Indeed. Her connection to the Force was unlike anything I've experienced. But we'll have to observe her further. Perhaps we'll see more clearly when she wakes up. She may need to prove her abilities sooner than we'd like, possibly during the emergency landing."
Obi-Wan's eyes widened, and his calm composure slipped momentarily. "Wait? Emergency landing? What emergency landing?"
Qui-Gon sighed quietly. "I didn't wish to alarm the Naboo crew when they were tired, so Captain Panaka and I decided to keep it between ourselves for now. The hyperdrive took significant damage during our escape. We've only a few hours left before we'll need to exit hyperspace and find a safe place to land."
Obi-Wan's stomach twisted nervously. "And where exactly is the closest planet?"
"Tatooine," Qui-Gon replied, grimacing slightly. "A desert world on the Outer Rim. It's controlled entirely by the Hutts—powerful gangsters and slavers—but it has a large enough spaceport where we can likely find replacement parts. It's a haven for smugglers and criminals, unfortunately—drugs, slaves, weapons trading...you name it, the Hutts probably sell it."
Obi-Wan groaned softly, shaking his head in dismay. Just what they needed—landing on a planet crawling with the galaxy's worst criminals. But, as always, he trusted the Force. The galaxy tended to work in mysterious ways, especially during crises like these.
– Silas –
Missy and I must've been really wiped out—like, near-comatose levels of exhaustion—because neither of us woke up until after our ship had landed on Tatooine, Star Wars' most iconic desert hellscape.
Missy stretched dramatically next to me, yawning widely before offering a cheerful grin. "Wow, Silas! I don't think I've ever slept that well in my life!"
I chuckled softly, cracking my stiff neck as I sat up. "Yeah, nothing like being chased by killer robots to really knock you out, right?"
She laughed, hopping out of her bunk and bouncing lightly on her toes. The rest had clearly done her wonders. I felt pretty damn good myself. My magicka—or psychic energy, or whatever the hell it was called now—had completely recharged while I slept. I felt refreshed, powerful, and ready to blow some shit up again if needed.
"Hey," I said, reaching into my inventory space and pulling out a few emergency PRT-issued ration packs. "Breakfast?"
Her eyes lit up immediately. "Hell yes!" She tore open a ration bar eagerly, devouring it with far more enthusiasm than anyone should ever show for a brick of processed nutrients. I grinned, shaking my head slightly and tossing her a water canteen from my stash as well.
As I chewed thoughtfully on my own bland-ass ration, I was damn glad I'd had the foresight to store emergency supplies in my inventory. Still, considering we'd just landed on a literal desert planet, we'd need to ration our water carefully—because, well, duh.
Once we'd eaten, we exited our small crew quarters and headed towards the ship's central compartment. We found everyone already gathered there, mid-conversation about the next steps.
Qui-Gon stood in the center, speaking firmly and calmly. "I will head into the settlement to find the replacement hyperdrive parts we need. Captain Panaka, stay with the ship—keep everyone safe."
The fake Queen Amidala immediately stepped forward, voice firm. "Padmé must accompany you, Master Jedi. She'll serve you well as an assistant."
I glanced over at Padmé, noticing her subtle sigh of resignation. Apparently, keeping up the charade was exhausting and I wondered why she was still doing it?
Missy stepped forward eagerly. "I'm going too!"
Everyone turned to look at her in surprise. She'd ditched her mask entirely—it seemed pretty pointless now anyway, and now everyone was seeing her face. And how young she really was I guessed.
Padmé looked startled by how young she appeared. "You?" the real queen asked skeptically, clearly hesitating to allow Missy to go with.
Missy puffed up indignantly, crossing her arms and glaring defiantly. "I'm not a baby, you know! I'm twelve!"
Padmé, who I was pretty sure was barely fourteen herself, gave her a mildly apologetic smile. "I didn't mean any offense. It's just dangerous out there."
Missy puffed up dramatically. "Danger's my middle name!"
"It's actually not," I interjected smoothly. "But yeah, she can definitely handle herself. Trust me…" She racked up way higher numbers than I did on Naboo.
I pity the fool who messes with the OP twelve year old cape. She was beyond Shaker 9 now, that was for sure.
Earlier, Missy had quietly confessed to me that she really wanted to meet Anakin Skywalker—before he became Darth Vader and turned evil. I figured it was probably safe enough. Besides, it wasn't like she wouldn't have a Jedi with her for protection if Darth Maul still showed up.
Qui-Gon chuckled softly, nodding his agreement. "Very well. Young Vista will accompany us. I have a feeling her abilities might be quite useful out there."
Vista beamed brightly, clearly thrilled at the chance to join the Jedi Master on his expedition. "You can call me Missy with my mask off, and this is Silas!" she pointed at me.
"Hey…" I waved casually. Most of the crew was seeing my face for the first time as well.
At that precise moment, a familiar blue notification suddenly appeared directly in front of my face, causing everyone in the room to flinch back instinctively. I ignored their confused stares, reading the system notification.
[The Path of the Liberator! Optional Side Mission! Step One: Head out alone into the deserts of Tatooine and slay a Krayt Dragon by yourself and absorb its soul!]
"What was that?" Qui-Gon asked nervously, eyebrows furrowing in confusion as I dismissed the glowing system notification.
Missy shot me a quick look of concern, clearly worried about the crazy-ass side quest I'd just received. I waved her off casually. Honestly, I was pretty sure I could handle one…very giant, sand-dwelling murder lizard.
Probably.
Shrugging lightly, I glanced back at Qui-Gon. Truth be told, I still had absolutely zero clue how or why I even had this Hero System, but that didn't mean I couldn't mess with him just a little.
"Oh, you know," I said smoothly, flashing a mischievous grin, "that was just the Force giving me another mission. Happens from time to time. Right, Missy?"
Missy blinked once, instantly catching on. Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she smirked. "Oh, yeah, totally. The Force gives Silas random quests now and then, so we can become better heroes!"
Obi-Wan sputtered incredulously, his eyes darting rapidly between us. "What? That—that's absurd!"
Qui-Gon shook his head sternly, clearly not amused. "That's not how the Force works," he said flatly.
"And you'd know because…?"
Qui-Gon frowned deeply. "Because I am a Jedi Master, young man."
I grinned wider, stepping closer and folding my arms across my chest. "Alright then, Master Jedi. Explain why a random screen just popped up directly in front of my face, ordering me specifically to go kill a Krayt dragon all by myself."
Qui-Gon opened his mouth, then immediately closed it again, clearly at a complete loss for words. He glanced toward Obi-Wan, who gave an awkward shrug, equally bewildered.
Obviously, neither had any damn clue how to respond.
I chuckled lightly, giving Missy a quick fist bump as I walked past all the baffled and speechless Naboo passengers. "Well, it's been real, but looks like I've got a giant sand monster to slay. I'll catch up with you all in Mos Eisley when I'm done. Try not to get yourselves killed, yeah?"
Missy looked slightly worried again, stepping closer. She dropped her voice low, just enough for me alone to hear. "Be careful, Silas. Seriously."
I smiled softly behind my mask, appreciating the genuine concern in her voice. "I promise. You too, kiddo. Watch out for sandstorms and whiny slave boys."
She snorted, rolling her eyes dramatically. "I'll be fine. Go kick that dragon's ass."
With one last playful salute at the utterly bewildered Jedi and Naboo crew, I strode down the ship's ramp. Feeling pretty badass about my exit.
For about 5 seconds…
The moment I stepped out onto the sandy planet surface, a blast of scorching air hit me in the face like a damn oven door swinging open.
Holy shit—it was hot as fuck out here!
I sighed heavily, tugging my hood lower to shield my face from the blazing sun, squinting at the harsh brightness of Tatooine's twin suns.
"Maybe this isn't gonna be as fun as I thought," I muttered sourly, sweat already beading beneath my armor. "This planet officially sucks."
[Quest marker updated! Head northeast approximately three kilometers. Krayt dragon nesting grounds detected. Good luck, hero!]
I'd never gotten a Quest Marker before, that was pretty helpful at least.
XXX
Love Star Wars, but I never liked Jar Jar, or the Gungans...