Chapter Text
It happens more often than the greater galactic society probably realises, that someone gets into their head to start a new Force cult. A Force sensitive somewhere figures out how to understand and perhaps even manipulate the Force one way or the other, and takes it upon themselves to share their good fortune. It's a tale as old as history itself - for as long as there had been people capable of sensing and manipulating the Force, there had been people willing to in some way make use of their abilities. Thousands upon thousands of such Force cults had risen and fallen through the galaxy's long history, and thousands more would rise and fall yet.
Sometimes the cults are benign, and there are known Force religions that are mostly harmless and even beneficial. The Sisterhood of the Living Force, for one, and the Order of Wisdom and Light. The Guardians of Whills are one of the oldest sects of Force religion, and though they, like many others, have their difficult past, now they are universally known as an entity of charity and wisdom.
… But rarely does an individual seek to start such things for altruistic reasons. Usually the reasons are far more malicious than seeking mere understanding of the Force. Worse by far is when a Force sensitive with some training loses their way and begins abusing their abilities, however they gain them, to their advantage - those who seek power, influence and gain from their ability to, through the Force, manipulate others. Cult started by such individuals can and often do cause irreversible damage to people, to societies, to planets - to the intangible field of the Force that binds the galaxy together. In the worst cases they leave scars in history, marks that take centuries to heal. If they ever do.
Four times out of ten, it's a former member of the Jedi Order who falls to the temptation of starting their own sect of Force Users.
"Knight Kenobi, Padawan Skywalker," begins the holomessage, master Shaak Ti bowing slightly in the flickering image on Obi-Wan's holoprojector. "We have received your report on your latest mission, and the Jedi High Council commends you on your exemplary work. I understand you must be eager to get back to Coruscant, however, something has come up that we must ask you to attend first. A rumour from the system of Sur Keth, which is only half a parsec from where you should be right now."
Obi-Wan strokes a hand over his beard as the hologram flickers into a star map and Shaak Ti continues. "I have included in this message all information on Sur Keth VII, the only habitable planet of the system. It is a wild world, sparsely inhabited and untamed but peaceful, except for these rumours. There are reports of a Force cult that has appeared there - individuals with remarkable powers. Now, though this is normally the work of Jedi Shadows, there isn't one near to your location, so we're hoping you will be able to investigate the matter, and see if there's any truth to the rumours. If there is a Force cult in Sur Keth VII, the sooner we know, the better."
The star map flickers out, and Master Shaak Ti bows. "We look forward to your report, Knight Kenobi, Padawan Skywalker. May the Force be with you."
The message sputters out, leaving the little cockpit of their dingy little star cruiser dark.
"Have you noticed, Master, how the Jedi Council asks us to do something - and then doesn't give us the opportunity to decline?" Anakin comments from the doorway. "And then they look forward to our report, like it's a foregone conclusion?"
"It's not as though we would have declined, Padawan," Obi-Wan points out, folding his arms and tilting his body to look over to him. Anakin has engine grease on his cheek. "They know from our report that we're both in good health, and we have a ship in use that we can do whatever we wish with. It makes us quite agile, as a Jedi-team goes."
"Yes, yes, still. Why make it even seem like a request, when it's really an order?" Anakin asks.
"To maintain the pretence of being polite, I suppose?" Obi-Wan muses. "How does the engine look?"
"She'll do, for a couple more jumps. Then the serrator will blow, and the patch job I did will crack like an egg, and we'll be dead in space," Anakin informs him cheerfully. "Should be fun. So, we're heading to, what was it, Sur Keth?"
"Seems that way," Obi-Wan muses and steps aside to let Anakin into the pilot's seat, taking the navigator's seat beside him. "Hang on, I'll feed Master Ti's information into the flight computer… Ah, there. Hm," he considers the coordinates. "It doesn't seem too far. Can you do the calculations?"
"In my sleep - though I still think we should've brought R2 along. Even if they've forbidden droids in Helgara, R2 could've just stayed on ship," Anakin mutters while starting to punch numbers into the flight computer.
"And if they'd searched the ship, we would've been thrown in jail for smuggling contraband," Obi-Wan says and arches his brows at him. "And R2 would've been thrown into an incinerator. Is that what you want for your droid friend?"
"Well, no, but -" Anakin makes a face, contrary on principle more than anything. "I don't like droid discrimination."
"Better safe than sorry," Obi-Wan says with a smile. "R2 is fine at the temple, and we're fine without him, this once. And if nothing else, this is letting you flex your astral navigation."
"Yes, because you're too lazy to do it yourself," Anakin says cheekily and leans back in the pilot's seat, reaching to hit some switches above the seat. "I got it. Should we head out right away?"
"No time better than present, I suppose," Obi-Wan says and checks the readouts. Everything looks fine, so he sits back to let Anakin do the work. "Now, my young Padawan, what do you know of Force cults?"
"Um. They're a thing, often bad, sometimes crazy, and usually end up with people dead?" Anakin asks warily. "And as Jedi we need to put a stop to that sort of thing, because the Force is our thing?"
"... No, Anakin. Well, yes and no," Obi-Wan shakes his head, smiling wryly at Anakin's grin. "Force cults aren't always inherently malicious. Sometimes they're scams, and sometimes they're just harmless pursuits of understanding and wisdom. The Force is universal, and it belongs to no one, and by itself the belief and faith in the Force and seeking to understand it isn't harmful to anyone. It's when you add Force sensitivity, Force abilities - and more selfish intentions - into the mix that it becomes potentially dangerous."
"Like what happened with the Rising Side?" Anakin asks in tones of morbid fascination.
"Well… yes," Obi-Wan winces. Though it hadn't been public news, exactly, whenever there's an incident of Force Sensitive using the Force to trick and manipulate and brainwash others to do their bidding… it tends to become big news inside the Jedi Temple, no matter how the High Council discourages such gossiping. It made for a week's macabre entertainment for the Padawans and Initiates of the Jedi Temple as they came up with increasingly ghastly rumours about the Rising Side - a Force sensitive who thought their side could rise above the Dark and the Light sides of the Force.
As such things go, the incident hadn't been… terrible. Mostly the whole thing had been just embarrassing to the Jedi Order.
"So, we're going there, seeing what's going on, and maybe putting down a cult of evil Force users," Anakin says, nodding, and takes the controls. "Sounds exciting, I can't wait."
"We will investigate and hopefully resolve the situation without resorting to violence," Obi-Wan says firmly. "If we're lucky, it's a case of mistaken identity and there's nothing nefarious going on. It happens sometimes - people mistaking feats of technology or skill for Force usage. It might be nothing."
"With our luck, Master? It will definitely be something," Anakin asks with a grin, and punches the ship into hyperdrive.
Sur Keth is a very green planet. Over 70% of the landmass is covered in forests, the landscape like fuzzy green carpet covered in wrinkles where the forest climbs up various mountains or falls into various ravines and valleys. There isn't a flat piece of land to be seen, and amidst the thick forests it is almost impossible to see the few villages dotting the planet's surface.
The little desert boy inside Anakin is quietly amazed - and kind of horrified - by the place. A whole planet that's just one big… forest. You'd think after Coruscant - a planet-wide city - one'd get used to things being planet-wide, but no, apparently not. He is still not used to forest planets.
At least it's not an ocean planet - those still make Anakin's skin crawl a little in a way he can't explain. Something about that much water, just - nope.
It's a fitting place for a Force cult to appear, though. The whole system is alight with the living Force, and it's wild and unrestrained in a way it isn't in most inhabited systems. Sur Keth has tens of thousands of years of murky history too, like most old planets do, most of which is lost in time with only ancient ruins and mysterious monuments left to tell the tale.
Just the sort of place for adventure. Not that Jedi are supposed to seek such things.
"It's pretty," Anakin says defensively when Obi-Wan casts him a suspicious look. He might've been grinning too widely again.
"It certainly is that," Obi-Wan agrees slowly and looks out of the window at the planet floating before them. "But how does it feel?"
Anakin purses his lips and then concentrates. It feels like a wild and free living Force, like vitality and life. "I don't sense anything that might allude to the Dark side. But there is… something. It could be a Force user."
"Hmm," Obi-Wan says, his tone agreeing. "Perhaps even several. We best follow that feeling, my Padawan. Take us in."
"Yes, Master."
They land in a tight clearing near one of the many small settlements non the planet that seems almost completely swallowed by the greenery. There's a hint of old history there - the buildings are all ancient and look like they will endure thousands of years without much wear and tear - even as tree roots crawled all over them and the thick humidity rusted through everything made of metal. The people seem about the same - hardy, wild, and a bit unkempt.
Anakin eyes the trees growing all over the buildings while Obi-Wan questions a fruit seller about the rumours, and wonders, not for the first time, about how different planets could be, how the fortunes of the galaxy aren't shared equally. This place has so many things growing all over the place, while places like Tatooine…
"Ah, right, those people," the fruit seller says, hauling a box onto a dingy, rust-stained speeder. "Yeah, I've heard about them - last I heard they live on the Eketh," he motions vaguely to somewhere far left of them. "They say they can't speak any language anybody knows, but they do decent work."
"Work?" Obi-Wan asks interestedly. "They've sought employment around here?"
"Well, not employment, exactly," the fruit seller says, motioning again. "They took out a nest of hyurks, and I think they've been killing the raskarors."
Hyurks are apparently four-winged raptors, and raskarors are sort of amphibians the size of an average local house. Sur Keth's local fauna veers towards fanged and gigantic, it seems.
"It was a good thing too, damned things killed a couple kids last year," the fruit seller grumbles.
"Their intervention is fortunate, then," Obi-Wan muses, though he looks worried. "Have they done anything else around here?"
"Eh, they've come around to play music a couple of times," the local says thoughtfully. "Not really my thing, though, but some people like it."
Anakin shares a look with Obi-Wan and then folds his arms, thinking. So, the cult can fight monsters and doesn't know Basic - or they're faking not knowing it, doing some sort of vow of silence thing, maybe? And they've got no money. Playing music, though, that's interesting. Not something you'd expect from evil Force users.
Obi-Wan seems interested too, arching his brows a little. "I see. And the rumours of their… abilities?" he asks delicately. "Have you heard anything about that?"
"Well, I heard they fly on their swords?" the fruit seller muses, scratching at his neck. "Never seen it for myself."
Well, that's… different.
"Right," Obi-Wan says, decisive. "Where is Eketh, again?"
They ask around a bit more, but most of the stories are the same. The locals have seen a few members of the cult, and they're all human-appearing, none of them speak Basic, and they're all weird - they wear long robes, and all of them have long hair, and all of them carry swords. On which they fly.
"Oh, I saw it - the red and black one just tossed his sword down and it floated!" A little girl says excitedly. "And then he stepped on it and flew off!"
"Red and black one?" Obi-Wan asks faintly and gets a little girl's enthusiastic description of the cultist's robes.
"Black robes don't necessarily mean evil," Anakin says defensively after the little girl had been drawn away by her suspicious mother. "I wear a lot of black."
"Oh, I know, I know," Obi-Wan says uncomfortably. "Just some bad memories, that's all."
Right - the Sith in Naboo was all red and black. Anakin shakes his head. "Do you think it's possible, Master? Levitating a sword while standing upon it, and using that as means of transport?"
"I have levitated objects other people have been standing on, so I can't deny that it could be possible," Obi-Wan says, stroking his beard. "Never done it while I was standing on said objects, however. Master Yoda might be able to do it - I think I recall him sitting on a levitating ball once or twice. It would certainly take an enormous amount of concentration to do so in a sustained manner for long periods of time."
"So, they really are Force users… or they have hoverboards pretending to be swords," Anakin concludes.
"I suppose we should go in and have a look, see what we can find out for ourselves," Obi-Wan says and looks at him. "So far I have not sensed any lingering maliciousness - have you?"
Anakin shakes his head, but frowns. There's something…
Eketh, it turns out, is a mountain. A really, really high mountain that's completely covered with trees and pretty much impossible to climb without cutting the way through, first. A lightsaber would make quick work of the roots and the vines and the branches, but, of course…
"We shouldn't make too much noise," Obi-Wan says.
"I don't see how we can get through this any other way, master. Unless you can fly on your lightsaber now," Anakin points out - he's been thinking about it maybe a little too much since the village.
"Ha-ha," Obi-Wan says flatly - he's definitely been thinking about it too. "No, there will be a way through. Feel your path through in the Force, Anakin - there will be trails here. The animals that live here must be getting around in the forest somehow. Not all of them can fly."
He's right, but it's nowhere near as fun as just taking their lightsabers at the trees would've been. And it's still a damn climb. The mountain is steep, almost completely vertical in places, and very soon they're resorting to the vines and branches for handholds.
There's a strange feeling in the Force the higher they go. Not dark, and not either light, but… attractive. Like gravity. It's like there's a whirlpool high up in the mountain, sucking in the Force.
"Master," Anakin says, uncertain as he hangs on a tree branch and feels the drain in the Force. He's never felt anything like it.
"I sense it also," Obi-Wan says tightly, hauling himself up.
"What do you think it means?"
"There are artefacts that attract the Force - there are devices, old, ancient Sith contraptions, that may even trap it," Obi-Wan says grimly. "We must be cautious -"
And then the sink in the Force vanishes. A moment later Anakin feels an awareness reaching out and noticing them. And unlike the sink in the Force, this one feels undeniably dark and hostile.
Anakin swings to stand upon a crooked tree trunk growing almost vertical on the mountain's side and puts his hand on his lightsaber hilt. Obi-Wan does the same, ready for anything, and both of them scan the skies. The seeking tendril of attention is like a tether and the source is coming for them.
"Master," Anakin says urgently, itching to activate his lightsaber.
"Be calm, Anakin, let's give them the benefit of the doubt," Obi-Wan says, his voice tense and his posture wary. "We are the ones intruding upon their peace. Hopefully we can be diplomatic about this.
And then there's the red and black person coming down on sword point from the sky, and it's not just the robes that leave the impression. It's the long, wildly curly hair, it's the glowing red eyes - it's the dangerous aura that breathes threat and blood and the sigil of pure Darkside glowing on the man's forehead, as if lit from within by pure hateful rage.
Anakin activates his lightsaber without meaning to. It's been years, and his senses hadn't been as sharp then - but he knows a Sith when he sees one.
"Anakin, no!" Obi-Wan snaps - but it's too late. Anakin can feel the instinctual terror coming from Obi-Wan and he couldn't stop himself from attacking the Sith anymore than he could've stopped his own heart from beating. He flies at the Sith, Force enhanced and lightsaber first.
And the Sith moves to meet him, a fanged grimace on his face and clawed hands curled into fists. It's a brutal impact as they meet - and Anakin's lightsaber misses. The Sith's fist doesn't.
Anakin hasn't felt a blow like that since meeting Pong Krell in the training salles. It completely halts his momentum, knocks the very vision from his eyes and then blows him back and right into the mountainside.
What little air was left in Anakin's lungs by the punch, the mountain knocks right out of him.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan shouts and then just barely gets in the way as the Sith moves to follow with deadly intent. With his lightsaber active and held up in a guard, Obi-Wan Kenobi steps into the line of fire in his Padawan's defence.
Wiping blood and dirt from his face and gasping for breath, Anakin looks up to see the Sith hesitate, just little. With black and red robes flaring in the mountain breeze, the Sith lands on another tree trunk. The sword under his feet flashes into his hand, and with flourish the Sith aims it at Obi-Wan.
Even with his brain still rattling from the blow he'd taken, Anakin can feel the energy coursing through the sword. It feels alive in the Force. Whatever it is, however it was forged, it is more than just metal.
The Sith says something threatening, and Anakin can't understand a word of it. Neither can Obi-Wan, judging by his frustration and tension. The Sith waits for a reply and Obi-Wan says, "I apologise, that is not a language I know," which doesn't seem to please their enemy at all.
The Sith shifts to ready position and Anakin can only hope his sword isn't made of a lightsaber-proof material, when -
"Luo Binghe!"
There's another person flying towards them on a sword blade. This one, though also by all appearances a human man, seems nothing like the first. His robes are more plentiful then the Sith's, and far lighter - pale shades of green, rather than red and black. The mark on his forehead is painted on, a thin streak, and exudes no darkness. His aura is undeniably light.
He's younger than the first man, much smaller, clearly weaker - and yet the Sith flinches at the tone of his voice. "Binghe," the lighter Force user says, admonishing, and the Sith's whole demeanour changes.
What the Sith says in answer, neither Anakin nor Obi-Wan understand - but Anakin knows that tone of voice. The Sith is whining. It's very clearly a "they started it!" type of voice.
The light Force user steps off his sword and whacks the Sith, ineffectual, over the head with something. A folding paper fan, it turns out, as he snaps it open to hide his face and turns to coolly and calmly face the Jedi. Behind him, the Sith's very briefly contrite expression instantly swings back to threatening, and he glares at Anakin and Obi-Wan over the lighter Force user's head while putting a possessive hand around the man's waist. The Lightsider barely bats an eye.
Seemingly under its own power, the second man's sword sheaths itself.
Slowly, Obi-Wan lowers and then deactivates his lightsaber. "There has been a misunderstanding," he says carefully and turns the lightsaber hilt away. "We mean you no harm. Anakin, are you alright?"
"... I don't think anything's broken," Anakin gurgles through the blood and struggles to his feet, glaring right back at the Sith. "I'll live, Master." He's not sure he'd survive the humiliation, though.
"Shizun," the Sith murmurs, half-plaintive and half-suggestive in the Lightsider's ear, his eyes simmering with dangerous intent.
"Shush," the man in light green answers, his eyes cool, searching. He's looking Obi-Wan up and down, and his eyes narrow - he recognises them. Sounding almost incredulous he asks, "Jedi?"
"Yes - I am Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi," Obi-Wan says quickly and bows in greeting. "This is my Padawan learner, Anakin Skywalker. We apologise for the misunderstanding - it wasn't our intention to appear hostile."
"Jedi," the Lightsider says flatly. "Star wars." And then he mutters something Anakin can't understand, hiding his entire face behind his fan.
"Shizun," the Sith whines, tugging at the man's waist insistently.
The Lightsider sighs something at him and then looks up, schooling his face into something neutral. "Hello," he says in a heavily accented basic. "I am Shen Qingqiu - this is Luo Binghe. Sorry for him," he glances at Luo Binghe. "He's foolish."
"Shizu-un," the Sith whines, clearly not understanding, and Shen Qingqiu bops him on the forehead with his fan, not even looking at him. The Sith pouts.
Anakin splutters in objection.
"As is my apprentice - the fault is ours," Obi-Wan says quickly, clearly relieved to have some kind of handle on the situation. "We apologise for showing up unannounced - it wasn't our intention to offer offence."
Behind him, Anakin scoffs and spits out a glob of blood, pinching his nose to stem the bleeding. He keeps a wary eye on Luo Binghe - who, like an unhappy, chastised cat, is rubbing his forehead against Shen Qingqiu's fan.
The moment the Sith's eyes catch Anakin's, he's right back to glaring, though.
Anakin glares back.
"No offence," Shen Qingqiu says and looks between them again, frowning ever so slightly. "Star wars," he mutters again, a strange choice of oaths, and then shakes his head. "You should come with us. We stay higher up. There's water. Your apprentice can wash himself."
"Yes, I think that might be for the best," Obi-Wan agrees slowly and looks behind himself. "Anakin…"
"I'll be fine," Anakin says, testing his nose. It's still bleeding, but not too badly. "It's already stopping. How are we getting up, though? We can't fly."
"Binghe will take one of you, I will take the other," Shen Qingqiu says and turns to say something to the Darksider which sounds rather like play nice. The Sith pouts at the man, petulant, and then glares at Anakin. It's clear which one of the Jedi he thinks he's taking - and how much he likes the idea.
"Maybe I'll just walk," Anakin mutters.
Obi-Wan gives him a pat on the shoulder. "Think of it as an opportunity to learn from your mistakes, Padawan," he says and then adds, more firmly, "Because what you did just then was very much a mistake."
Anakin looks away, scowling.
"You need to think before you leap, Anakin," Obi-Wan says and then squeezes his shoulder, comforting. "Hopefully no lasting harm was done. Now, let us keep an open mind. It seems there's something very interesting going on here."
Anakin watches Shen Qingqiu treat a Sith like he's a misbehaving puppy and scoffs. "Yeah. Interesting."