Make up the fires, and buy another coal-scuttle…

[Corvus Raaf]

“He was dead, to begin with. There is no doubt whatever about that. The register of his burial was signed by the clergyman, the clerk, the undertaker, and the chief mourner. He was as dead as a door-nail.

Mind! I don’t mean to say that I know, of my own knowledge, what there is particularly dead about a door-nail. I might have been inclined, myself, to regard a coffin-nail as the deadest piece of ironmongery in the trade. But the wisdom of our ancestors is in the simile; and my unhallowed hands shall not disturb it, or the Country’s done for. You will therefore permit me to repeat, emphatically, that he was as dead as a door-nail.”

Corvus reviewed the message. It made no sense. Or rather, the words did, but the meaning was lost on her. Why was she sent the message? Was it intended for another?

As she wondered, a new message arrived. From the same source. This time she received coordinates. No more and no less.

So she did what anyone would do. She punched them into her ship’s computer and set course for the unknown planet.

And finally a third message was sent and received. It bore just two words…

“Christmas Eve.”

This was as puzzling as the opening message. What did it mean?

She landed in the middle of an open space. There was a town nearby — but the coordinates were specific, so she followed them to the letter. Or was that the number? Outside it was snowing and she was pleased she was wearing her cloak.

She stepped off the ship. It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal: and she could hear the distant sound of people growing louder as she walked towards them.

Finally she reached the outskirts of the town and saw the locals, humans, wheezing up and down, beating their hands upon their breasts, and stamping their feet upon the pavement stones to warm them. The city clocks had only just gone three, but it was quite dark already — it seemed as if it had not been light all day—and candles were flaring in the windows of the homes, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that although the street was narrow, the houses opposite were mere phantoms.

To Corvus’ trained eye, this planet — uncharted as it was — was clearly primitive, and she wondered if that was why she was required to land away from people.

“A Merry Christmas, God save you!” cried a cheerful voice as a young boy in rags passed her by.

Curiouser and curiouser, she thought (although her name wasn’t Alice).

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzCQGodWwPU

It was that time of year again. Christmas was fast approaching and often, sadly, overlooked. It was now only myth and legend of the fantastical figure who brought children gifts from all corners of the galaxy. You never saw children playing in the snow without a worry anymore – the shroud of darkness was always overhanging families, and it was sad to see. A few token decorations here and there, but nothing like it was. Nothing like it should be.

As the ship raced from the Outer Rim down towards the Unknown Regions, the place where the cryptic coordinates had guided his lone fighter, Connor re-read the message that had come to him. He had kept it quiet for now from Taeli; there was no need to concern her. It wouldn’t take long to investigate, surely. She was busy with Republic matters, so he wouldn’t be missed as long as he brought the fighter back in one piece.

It was the final part that intrigued him the most in this macabre proclamation of death:

”Did I know he was dead? Of course I did. How could it be otherwise? We were partners for I don't know how many years. I was his sole executor, his sole administrator, his sole assign, his sole residuary legatee, his sole friend, and sole mourner. And even I was not so dreadfully cut up by the sad event, but that he was an excellent man of business on the very day of the funeral, and solemnised it with an undoubted bargain. The mention of his funeral brings me back to the point I started from. There is no doubt that he was dead.”

Eyes drifted upwards to the planet that came into view, a thousand thoughts racing through his head. This didn’t sound pleasant. Was it someone he knew? Was one of the Silvers in trouble? Thurion? Ryker, even?

As the fighter broke through the atmosphere, the cloud seemed to blend with the fog, and a thousand lights brought the craft down. Lights from a large hamlet, with peaked domes, steeples and thatched roofs. Smoke rose from chimneys and a warmth emanated from the place. Connor hadn’t seen anything like it, but it seemed a very backwards place – no speeders, no ships hanging in orbit, no reading of technology.

Taking a few minutes on the outskirts to take his greatcoat and lightsaber, unsure if he’d need it or not judging by this place, he threw it on to keep him warm as there was a wonderful chill in the air that clouded his breathe. There was noise coming from within the walls, and, after locking down the craft, he made his way through, noting the thin layer of frost on the ground which turned into cobbles beneath his boots as the large street came into view. Candles flickered in windows, children ran up and down playing together and couples walked with parcels and the odd astromech droid tootled along, and even they looked rather dated.

Bringing his coat closer, a small smile here and there as he tried to hide how out-placed he felt, Connor kept his weapon out of sight and just let his blue eyes wander this rather…dare he say…cozy town? He didn’t know where he was, or why, but he would find out. Even the Force was tame – there was nothing shouting out to him.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

The door of one building was open — spilling light from what must be an open fire onto the snowy cobbles. The light danced and despite the cold, seemed oddly romantic to Corvus’ eye.

“A Merry Christmas, uncle! God save you!” cried a cheerful voice. It was the same one that had spoken to her earlier.

“Bah!” said another, “Humbug!”

Corvus edged closer to the open door. Something was drawn her in. There was an oddly familiar feeling. The Dark-side!

“Christmas a humbug, uncle!” said the young man. “You don’t mean that, I am sure?”

“I do. Merry Christmas! What right have you to be merry? What reason have you to be merry? You’re poor enough.”

“Come, then,” returned the young man. “What right have you to be dismal? What reason have you to be morose? You’re rich enough and don’t be cross, uncle!”

“What else can I be,” returned the uncle, “When I live in such a world of fools as this? Merry Christmas! Out upon merry Christmas! A time for finding yourself a year older, but not an hour richer; a time for balancing your books and having every item in ’em through a round dozen of months presented dead against you? If I could work my will,” said the man indignantly, “Every idiot who goes about with ‘Merry Christmas’ on his lips, should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!”

“Uncle!” pleaded the nephew.

“Nephew!” returned the uncle, sternly, “Keep Christmas in your own way, and let me keep it in mine. Good afternoon.”

His nephew left the house without an angry word, and stopped at the outer door to bestow the greetings of the season to Corvus once more.

She smiled and bowed cordially. “Tell me,” she asked. “Has your uncle always been like that?”

“Oh no good madam,” the young man replied. “Only recently. We don’t know what’s come over him. But I’ll not give up on him, even if others do. What we need…what we need…” The young man looked to the skies. “Is a Christmas miracle.”

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor wasn’t looking where he was going, absently glancing at the windows he passed, decorated with green wreathes and the occasional red ribbon tied around a flickering candle. He heard a small exclamation before turning and bumping into two gentlemen, dressed much like him but wearing hats and looking far more official in their long coats and sporting thin moustaches.

”Oh, forgive me, I’m sorry,” Connor said, holding his hands up.

”Fear not, good sir. Happens to us all!” the tall man said cheerfully.

”Seasons greetings to you,” the short man smiled.

Connor nodded earnestly, ”And to you, gentlemen.” As the suits began to walk away, the Jedi turned sharply after taking two steps. ”Excuse me, sirs? I…can I ask a question?”

The two turned, hands resting in their pockets. ”Of course.”

”Christmas you say? Forgive me but, I can’t help notice there seems to be reservations in the faces of these people. I admit I am new here, but even you both seem quite on edge. Is everything ok? There is a strange mood around the town, even with the spirit trying to lighten it.”

Tall man looked around and sighed, his shoulders lowering considerably. ”Why…yes, but…there is one amongst us who even now casts a dark cloud over us all. He’s mean, greedy and rather wicked in ways. There’s something about him that turns apples rotten when he passes. It’s unnatural”

”He hates this time of year and punishes anyone who crosses him. In fact, we are on our way there now, but it is our duty as charitable folk to try and help those in need and so we try all businesses in the area for small donations. But, as always, I fear we will leave empty handed.”

Connor frowned. Was this being some over-lord? Was he the result of this message, some poor folk crying out for help? It didn’t make sense.

”Here,” he placed two credits in the palm of a hand and closed it, ”a Merry Christmas from one Connor Harrison. I’m sorry to hear of your troubles gentleman.”

”Bless you, Mister Harrison. Thank you!” With a tip of the hats, the two gentleman beamed as they made the way back down the streets, to which Connor hung back enough to follow.

It would do to pay this miser a visit, because he seemed to be one casting a dark cloud. A cloud of the Dark Side no doubt. He walked quietly and carefully, watching the two gents greet traders and children as they turned a corner at a T-junction, to walk towards a tall 3-story building that was far darker than the rest.

No candles in the windows, or wreathes, or people walking by. Except one, leaning on the door frame in a cloak that was illuminated by a glow of fire from inside. The gents obscured his vision as he hung back and they soon entered the house as a young fellow came out to engage in conversation with the hooded figure, a strong aura of good to them.

Connor pulled his coat a little tighter and kept his head down, glancing out from the corner of his eye and he minded his own business to avoid drawing attention until whoever it was had passed.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus stood with her back to the wall of the building. There was something odd about this place. It wasn’t simply a less well-advanced civilisation, it was as if it were from a bygone era. And she may have been a scholar but the festival they were celebrating was not known to her — and she knew many from around the galaxy.

As she stood, wondering what to do, the fog and darkness thickened so, that people picked up their already steady pace. The ancient tower of a nearby temple, whose gruff old bell was until recently peeping from out of a gothic window in the wall, became invisible, and struck the hours and quarters in the clouds, with tremulous vibrations afterwards as if its teeth were chattering in its frozen head up there. The cold became intense. In the main street, at the corner of the court, some labourers were repairing the cobbled road had lit a great fire in a brazier, round which a party of ragged men and boys were gathered: warming their hands and winking their eyes before the blaze in rapture.

She glanced around and saw the brightness of the shops where holly sprigs and berries crackled in the lamp heat of the windows, made pale faces ruddy as they passed. Poulterers’ and grocers’ trades became a splendid joke: a glorious pageant, with which it was next to impossible to believe that such dull principles as bargain and sale had anything to do.

Foggier yet, and colder. Piercing, searching, biting cold. The owner of less sense than most, stooped down at the old man’s keyhole to regale him with a song: but at the first sound of “God bless you, merry gentleman! May nothing you dismay!” the evil uncle uttered a curse with such energy of action, that the singer fled in terror, leaving the keyhole to the fog and even more congenial frost.

It was then she spotted the great-coat…

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Watching a peddler pushing a cart, lit up by a warm candle glowing in a lamp, Connor lost himself in the rhythmic clack-clack-clack of the wooden wheels along the cobbles as the light swayed over his weary face. Connor followed the cart with his eyes up the street, to the building which was the hot-spot for activity both internal and external it seemed.

The hooded figure was nearly taken out by a fellow stumbling out the door in a hurry, a dark chill following him. As they turned, two violet eyes seemed to stare back and clock him. Those eyes. A half smile formed, feeling that Miss Taeli still had to keep an eye on him out in the wilderness of space, but he looked past what he expected and focused on the face he knew too well.

Turning in the street, Connor walked slowly forward towards the building and the warm light from inside kissed her face as it shone over the features he had seen last twisted in an anger and loathing he hadn’t seen before. She looked well; really well, and radiated an aura he hadn’t felt before. The afternoon on Naboo had been pretty nasty – for both of them. Emotions had bubbled over; dark emotions of jealously, resentment and anger. He had lost a friend that day.

Corvus had been pulled to him yet again by their seemingly interlocking journey in life. Only now, on this cold and chilly evening in the middle of nowhere in a world seemingly lost in time, there were no glad tidings or festive cheer, and the atmosphere went as cold as the night air. Inside the building, conversation carried on with a few raised voices, but the Silver Jedi wasn’t too fussed about that.

What did he say? He knew what he wanted to say, and what he wanted to do, and it felt like everything he’d been TRYING to do and become over the last 2 months was unravelling like a loose ball of wool before his eyes. He had to grab that thread and stop it quickly before he made things even worse between former friends.

Connor looked sideways to the cart, and then into the building beside them, and then meeting Corvus right in the eyes.

”You’re lucky. I forgot the mistletoe.”

Even then, saying that, he had aimed for that sly Connor teasing, but he knew by her face and his tone of voice it was going to be far harder to brush the past under the carpet with a remark like that to break the ice.

Smooth work, Connor. As smooth as holly.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus raised an eyebrow. She was…as she was so fond of saying…a Jedi. First, foremost and only. As such, she found it difficult to judge others.

Her anger towards him was born primarily out of his wilful insistence to ignore her warnings. Stop, she’d hinted. Stop, she’d said.

And finally the lioness had roared the command.

But stay angry with him? No…but then that was out of her control. If he maintained the same vitriol, then she’d have no choice. It was all up to him.

Would she make it easy? That depended. She knew he meant a lot to her sister, so Corvus wouldn’t push him too far. But Braith meant a lot to her, so there had to be some balance addressed. She wanted to be friends, that much she knew. For everyone’s sake.

But he would find her as warm as the weather initially. The defrosting was entirely down to him.

“Why?” she asked as he started banter as if nothing had happened on Naboo. “Is it poisonous?”

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

First, the look. A well arched eyebrow that was wonderfully cute in an annoying sort of way. Second, the level of calm in her voice. He still couldn’t read this woman, this Jedi. What had she been through? He’d never have cared at one point in their many meetings across desert worlds or bustling cities – but now, she had been shaped by another and become someone else entirely.

Her remark was wonderfully quick and sharp, like her tongue. Connor shrugged casually and glanced in the frosted window, seeing the figures inside – one old miser seated with his back to them and others looking on trying to get a word in.

What he wanted to say was brilliant written down – Not as much as your lover. – Connor wasn't bitter at all. Really. It was a perfect send off, the sort used in holodramas before a cold hard slap across the face or swift boot into the…

Connor swallowed; he didn’t want any of those and changed his mind-set.

”I didn’t mean for you to eat it,” came the much more boring reply.

With that, he blew a breath, watching it fade into the air, and turned to her. Was now the time? Too many questions already pushed their way to the back of his lips, vying to be the one that spilled out first. A clock chimed in the distance, her eyes fixed on him still and he didn’t know if it was the eyes or the chill in the air that made his spine shiver.

”I take it you being here is some twisted slice of coincidence regarding a certain cryptic message about this place and death?” He brought his hands up to his lips, blowing into them to keep them warm now the two were standing stationary. ”Or are you here shopping for your girlfriend?”

If Corvus thought she could be stubborn with responses, Connor could easily match. If this was building to some sort of apology, it had better be a good one if the two were faced with another twisted puzzle to solve together.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

The thing about being a cold-fish? About being the Shield of the Jedi? You had decent defences. You were cold and impenetrable. You were hard to read and even harder to annoy.

This man had made her lose her cool once. Because she’d opened up to her emotions when she was still a novice with them. He’d taught her a lesson — and she was a quick study. Now she was able to use the filter that she’d learned all those years ago to allow a small flow of emotions in and out. And by small, that meant she felt and sensed emotions like an average person, albeit she could feel others almost as acutely.

But, given she was an empath, she wasn’t overwhelmed with the emotional feelings of everyone from a few streets away.

So she easily sensed his demeanour and was able to control her own reactions. And she knew she could shut them down if he crossed the line and she was forced to avoid a repetition.

“I don’t even know what it is,” she replied cooly. Which was true. It could be an animal or a weapon for all she knew. All she had to go on were his likely motives.

“And I don’t believe in luck,” she offered, her own body temperature quite normal, given she was wearing the ankle bracelet that Matsu had gifted her. But her breath still made little clouds as she exhaled and the air she breathed in was cold on her lungs.

“So I guess we received the same message. Which means, once again, we’re here to save the galaxy.” She avoided the question he tagged on the end. It didn’t feel genuine and she had already learned enough to know that to respond in kind would merely lead to an escalation. And she was here for the greater good. For the majority. Not for Connor and not for herself.

“And something is awry here. The Dark-side is at play and…something else. This very place. It feels unnatural. Contrived. I can’t quite place it.”

She looked at him. “What are you sensing?”

She decided it best to move on. If they were going to work together, maybe the frostiness would thaw naturally — and she wasn’t talking about the cobbles.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

”Well, it’s a…” he began, moving his hands to show the size of mistletoe he’d seen on Voss, however her glazed expression told him to end there. ”Never mind.”

Pulling his greatcoat in, he rolled his neck slightly and stood back for a second as she spoke, looking at the building and taking it in. Three stories, as most of them were along this street, which seemed to wind into the distance to give way to MORE buildings. Smoke rose from many chimneys and what looked like temple steeples, or churches, could be seen peeking out on the horizon.

”Well I’m sensing that you need to relax a little, but also something very off about this place. There’s a hold over it. I bumped into two gents a moment ago and believe this place,” he pointed, ”is where said hold stems from.”

He moved closer and peered in the window, the oval glass just visible behind the layer of frost.

”I’ve never seen a place like this before. I don’t even know the name of where we are. Like you say – contrived. Maybe we are just blind to people who choose not to embrace the future? I don’t know. I guess we go in and find out.”

Stepping over to the door, he placed a palm on the knob and turned it, then looked to her.

”Ready to save the galaxy again, Miss Raaf?”

Truth be told, it did feel nice to see her again.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus listened as Connor spoke. Action, it seemed, cured bad feelings. If they could just get along for a little while longer, the previous conversation could be broached from a less defensive standpoint.

Her first consideration that something was wrong was the front door. As Connor turned the handle, she was sure the knocker assumed the image of a face. Of a certain Sith Lord. But then it was gone.

As she followed Connor in, it was clear they were a gloomy suite of rooms, in contrast to the jolly houses either side, where it had so little business to be. You could scarcely help fancying it must have run there when it was a young house, playing at hide-and-seek with other houses, and forgotten the way out again. It was old and dreary and the fog and frost so hung about the black old gateway of the house, that it seemed as if even the weather sat in mournful meditation on the threshold.

She shivered involuntarily — and not from the cold. This house reeked of the Dark-side and the man that faced them? He was surely the source.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor stepped through into nought but darkness and shadow as the house beckoned them in. Turning briefly to make sure Corvus was behind him, he noticed the apprehension in her eyes, darting from the door to the ceiling to the floor to the wall in quick succession.

”Getting a little jumpy back there?””

He smirked softly and turned back to the house. There was a large staircase, carpeted and worn, that led to a room on the 1st floor which glowed with orange light. Downstairs, there was no natural light bar the candles in the window, already fading. Bookshelves were dusty and the desk where once had been activity now empty for the night – no voices, no warmth.

The floor beneath their feet was firm wood, not creaking like one would expect. Something drew Connor to the light rather than the darkness – how ironic – and he set about creeping up the stairs.

A tick-tock-tick-tock could be heard from the landing, a large ornamental clock counting down – it was nearly midnight. In the room, sat before a fire on a high backed red chair, sat a man dressed in gowns, looking into the burning coals. A large window was closed beside him, and an equally large bed on the back wall. It was as empty and cold as the outside world.

Connor looked around and shivered gently. There was a shroud of darkness closing in.

”Humbug!” The voice seemed to boom out of the old man.

The Jedi froze, and Connor felt his heart thumping. It was such a strange planet to begin with, yet alone a strange town and now an even stranger man.

”Who are you?”

The old miser turned in his chair and pointed to Connor to show himself - looking frail and beyond years.

”Ask me who I WAS.”

”Who WERE you then,” he said, stepping forward gently.

The fire spat. ”In life, I was one of you. Jedi.”

Looking sideways to Corvus, Connor shrugged and mouthed “was”.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus followed behind Connor. She presumed he sensed the Darkness too, but given his personal circumstances, she wondered if he was as sensitive to it as she was.

And she also wondered if proximity to that Darkness was in any way going to be a challenge for Connor. Taeli was her sister and they discussed most things — but privacy was respected and she wasn’t entirely sure what position he was in right now — but his own Darkness had significantly abated since the last time they met.

“Me…jumpy?” she echoed. “Possibly. There is so much here to make you so. Trust me.” Her hand went to her necklaces, and she sighed before focusing back on the stairs ahead.

Sith were Sith. They sometimes knew no better. But Jedi that fell to the Dark-side? Corvus always hoped they would regain their strength and turn back to the Light, but despite her optimism, she didn’t automatically expect it.

So she surveyed the figure in front of them. He was of an age where he could appear on one hand to be innocuous, but on the other, so wise and full of knowledge, who knew what risks he posed? That he was prepared to share this knowledge freely was both interesting and worrying. He clearly felt he was no threat to them — or they no threat to him.

But which was it?

Regardless, Corvus bowed - as was her custom - and smiled. “Good day to you sir. I feel our presence here is not chance. Did you have a hand in it?” Sometimes the direct approach was the best.

Sometimes.

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

”But of course I did. I coerce everything around here,” the miser said, now pointing at Corvus, ”and it’s time to see how much faith you have in yourself.”

Arching his fingers, narrowing his eyes, he started to playfully expel the Dark Side from his soul and touch upon Corvus. Whispy pink tendrils bound together along the room and gently wrapped themselves around the Grandmaster. Connor stepped forward and drew his lightsaber in alarm.

”No!”

The miser chuckled, wafting his other hand and knocking the silver hilt effortlessly from Connor’s hand across the floor.

”Oh pipe down, she’s fine. For now.”

Connor didn’t know what to do – to attack, to plead, to pull Corvus away, who was seemingly countering this soft application of the Dark Side which looked like a Force Drain power.

”Alright, stop this! What are you, Sith Lord? Wizard? What do you want?” Connor shouted, hand held up.

The miser stopped and laughed, turning back to the fire, but the pink tendrils of darkness hovered around him still.

”It is required of every Jedi, that the spirit within him or her should walk abroad among his fellowman, and travel far and wide, and if that spirit goes not forth in life, is it condemned to do so after death. It is doomed to wander through the world – oh, woe is me – and witness what it cannot share, but might have shared in the galaxy, and turned to happiness.”

While he spoke, Connor walked beside Corvus and quickly checked her over, but she seemed fine. He held onto her arm gently.

”Why bring us here old man? What do you want? We have an entire Order readyo come and liberate this planet at the first sign of - ”

With that, the miser span and slammed his hand down on the arm of the chair, sending a rolling shockwave across the wooden floor, sending both Jedi off balance.

”Connor! Corvus! You will be haunted by three spirits! Without their visits, you cannot hope to shun the Dark Side that claimed me and dictate the path I now tread! Expect the first in minutes, when the bell tolls ONE!”

Connor scrambled and looked at the Dark Sider, his eyes sickly yellow and his face etched with pain.

”Look to see me no more, and look that, for your own sake, you remember what has passed between us to save yourselves and everything you live to fight for, for if you don’t – your souls will be lost to me forever!”

With a crack of what sounded light lightning and a flash of pale red, the old miser vanished from the chair and everything went quiet and calm once more. The fire crackled gently, and the clock tick-tocked on time and the night drew in outside.

Looking sideways to Corvus, Connor rubbed his head.

”Well. That was odd.”

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus’ necklace didn’t automatically send out a barrier to protect her from the Dark-side. She wasn’t sure what that meant — but she was unharmed and so thought no more of it — given the old man’s portent of doom and gloom.

“Not precisely the likeliest way to start a party.”

Corvus looked at the clock. It was almost one o’clock and whatever they had to face, would be coming soon. At the back of her mind she wondered why the test. And why her and Connor. Part of her wanted to delve into this thought process — to better understand that might give them a clue.

But she was, as ever, mindful of the here and now, and so glanced once more at the clock as the minutes ticked down.

Her glance happened to rest upon a bell, a disused bell, that hung in the room, and communicated for some purpose now forgotten with a chamber somewhere else in the building. It was with great astonishment, and with a strange, inexplicable dread, that as she looked, she saw this bell begin to swing. It swung so softly in the outset that it scarcely made a sound; but soon it rang out loudly, and so did every bell in the house.

This might have lasted half a minute, or a minute, but it seemed an hour. The bells ceased as they had begun, together — at precisely one o’clock. They were succeeded by a clanking noise, deep down below; as if some person were dragging a heavy chain over the casks in the wine-merchant’s cellar.

The cellar-door flew open with a booming sound, and then she heard the noise much louder, on the floors below; then coming up the stairs; then coming straight towards them.

Without a pause, a spirit passed into the room before their eyes. It was the image of Darth Bane. Without the armour, the image of the man that died at Zannah’s hand.

The chain he drew was clasped about his middle. It was long, and wound about him like a tail. Attached to it were copies of the Jedi Code. Shackles, holding him back. The irony was not lost on Corvus.

“What do you want with us?”

“Much!”—Bane’s voice boomed. “Ask me who I was.”

“Who were you then?” said Corvus, already knowing the answer.

“I was the cause of the Jedi’s downfall. How do you judge me?”

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

As the chained spirit rattled up and into the room, Connor recoiled – both because it made him jump and since the figure was pretty ghastly. And revealing itself to be Darth Bane. Darth Bane? Here? For what reason.

”Well this is just getting better,” he mumbled.

Looking at the chains of Jedi Code, holding him down, there was little he could do in this form so Connor suspected. This was a spirit of a Lord all but dead. But, why was he here now, in front of the two Jedi? Connor butted in with an answer to his obvious question.

”I’d judge you by the way you appear now – long since forgotten and dead to the galaxy. You have been judged only by your actions and what you done in mortal form.”

There was an eerie silence, and he was sure he could hear the chains rattle.

He looked at Corvus, ”Right?”

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

Corvus was entirely unsure. Was this a dream? A test? A joke? Was this really the ghost of Darth Bane?

She figured the answer to all of her questions was no…but it didn’t bring her any closer to an answer.

But a chance to speak to Darth Bane? This was too good to turn down. If she’d ever heard of Christmas, she’d think they’d all come at once. If only she’d brought her Holocron. A three way conversation with Bane and Kenobi? Fan-girl heaven.

She gazed at the apparition. “I do not judge you…and that’s the truth. History does. It shows you killed more Sith than any Jedi ever could. It also shows you created a dynasty that almost toppled the Jedi. But, as my good friend history tells me…you didn’t. Nobody ever does. Because the Force is composed of two equal and opposite halves. The only way to get rid of the Jedi is to eradicate the Sith. Or vice versa. Except you then get good Jedi and bad Jedi. And the bad Jedi become Sith and it starts all over again.”

She cocked her head to one side. “Am I making sense? So, you will be remembered for many things. The Rule of Two. An amazing training technique in the rain — that I use extensively by the way, thought I’d mention that — and a runner’s up prize in ridding the galaxy of the Jedi.”

If he were corporeal, it would be likely she’d ask for an autograph about now.

“So, if I had to judge you? A legendary Sith Lord. Who actually had a lot of excellent advice on training and how each generation should exceed the one before.”

“But…as Connor said, you are dead. And there’s a punchline. My little sister, apparently, is going after your Holocron. She’s a Banite apparently.”

She gave Connor a shrug. What else was she supposed to say?

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

This Bane figure had obviously been the source of many theories and conversations with other Jedi, but he was simply a spectre of the past and a time long forgotten. He looked weary, and heavy with the chains, his aura simmering visibly in a ghostly shade of pale crimson. His face looked shallow but still defined from years of corruption. Connor looked between Bane and Corvus, and she laid it out on the table pretty well.

”You may be an undigested bit of Bantha steak, a blot of sauce, a crumb of cheese, a fragment of an underdone potato.” Connor pointed at Bane. ”There’s more of gravy than of grave about YOU -”

With an almighty roar, the spirit of Bane pushed forward and echoed a cry that was ear-splitting and made the Jedi recoil and cover their ears and close their eyes. The chains rattled and bells above clanged violently, and the room began to shake.

But it didn’t last for long, because then Connor felt and heard nothing. Blinking, he dropped his hands and gasped. They weren’t in the old room anymore, they were out in what looked like a garden – a herb garden, from what he could see. Snow-capped mountains loomed above them. A dwelling was present, but it seemed that nobody was around.

Except a little girl, kneeling in the garden, attending to the herbs.

Connor looked to Bane, still present and folding his arms.

”These are but shadows of the things that have been. They have no consciousness of us.”

Connor stepped forward, amazed and confused at the same time at where they were, or how they had got there. He felt no cold, no warmth, nothing – but could see and hear everything.

”Where are we? I don’t recognise this place.”

He turned to see if Corvus was still with him.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]

 

[Corvus Raaf]

She was physically with Corvus — but no doubt like him — was unsure what was going on. The Force she could understand and rationalise. But teleportation? Was this a vision, a dream or a use of the Force she was unsure of?

All in all, she thought Bane took Connor’s feedback well.

But she couldn’t help smiling. The herb garden was oddly familiar to her. It was just like the one she used to tend when she was still on Corellia. In the shadow of the snow-capped mountains — once more, just like the ones from her past. Her parents inherited mass farming off-world space-stations. She remembered abhorring the concept even at that age. Hence the garden. She was so attuned to nature and the herbs blossomed. It was the first real indication she was Force-sensitive.

She glanced at Bane and then looked at Connor. “I do…” she said. “Except it was a long time ago. The planet doesn't even exist any more. At least…not like this.”

A tear formed in her eye. She had opened herself up to emotions, albeit in her guarded, filtered way, and the memories flooded back.

“Is this…one of my memories?” She asked it of nobody in particular but left the question hanging open…

[member="Connor Harrison"]

 

[Connor Harrison]

Connor watched, awe-struck at the dream like world they were in. This wasn’t right. A Sith spirit transporting them into a place Corvus knew, and affected her? And yet there was no hatred or loathing coming from anywhere.

”What is the matter?” Bane’s ethereal voice echoed out.

Connor turned and looked up to him – it. He wanted to swipe and knock him down a peg or two, but that wouldn’t help. Instead, he shook his head and walked a little more towards the garden, Corvus standing still, rooted to the spot.

”Is this....” he looked at the little girl. The dark hair. The violet eyes. The indeniable delicacy, care and inquisitive nature. ”That’s you, isn’t it. This is Corellia.”

He took a moment to look around at a planet no longer in this physical state. Blue eyes flicked to Bane.

”What are you trying to do?”

Bane lowered his head, seemingly looking through the Silver Jedi trying to appear – what – imposing?

”Let us see another Christmas.”

The natural light seemed to fade around them as if a blanket was thrown over the sun. Connor span.

”Christmas? Corvus can - ”

The light returned, this time they were at a place Connor didn’t recognise, but there were many elder children celebrating and dancing. Music filled the air; they were in a hangar, or barn, he couldn’t tell. What was this place? Ahead of them on the far wall, was the girl with the violet eyes albeit a little older.

[member="Corvus Raaf"]