The Shadow Moon

Skibditoleit · May 13, 2025

CHAPTER ONE
"The Shadow Moon"
Date: 19th Day, Month of Galven, 0321 RST (Republic Standard Time)
Location: Jedi Temple, Coruscant

0320 RST – Meditation Courtyard, Jedi Temple, East Wing

The wind stirred between the pillars, whispering like distant voices. Lanterns floated above the courtyard pools, casting reflections in gentle ripples across the water.

Fifteen-year-old Vincent Hebb Jr. sat cross-legged in the center of the stone path, eyes closed, breath still, lightsaber resting on his knees.

He wasn't meditating the way the Council taught it.

He wasn't trying to empty his mind.

He was trying to hear.

His green eyes flicked open. He turned his head slightly, sensing something—shadows rippling behind the peace. Faint. Almost silent.

Not danger. Not yet.

But something distant. Watching.

Vincent (softly):
"You're early, Master."

From the archway behind him, Anakin Skywalker stepped forward. Cloaked. Unreadable.

Anakin:
"Or you're late."

Vincent stood slowly.
Vincent:
"I was listening."

Anakin:
"Did you hear anything important?"

A pause.

Vincent:
"…Not yet."

Anakin studied him. There were moments—brief flickers—when the boy reminded him of someone else. Someone powerful. Dangerous. Alone.

Anakin (finally):
"Training hall. Five minutes. You and Clara. No mercy this time."

0327 RST – Training Hall 3C

Blades ignited with a sharp snap-hiss.

The dim-lit chamber echoed with footwork and grunts as Vincent and Clara Baker circled each other, lightsabers clashing in precise rhythm. Sparks flew as blue met green, then split apart.

Clara moved with flawless form—orthodox, graceful.

Vincent was unpredictable—fluid, reactive, like the Force itself flowed faster through him than it did others.

He ducked her strike and shoved forward with the Force. Clara slid back, boots skidding.

Clara (gritting):
"You're distracted."

Vincent (breathing hard):
"No. I'm focused."

She leapt at him. He sidestepped. Her saber missed by inches.

Clara:
"Then why do you keep pulling your strikes?"

Vincent:
"Because I don't want to break your ribs."

A crackle of sabers—she grinned slightly.
Clara:
"Cute."

Above them, Anakin stood with arms folded.

Anakin (calling out):
"Enough!"

The sabers died down. Sweat clung to their brows. Vincent was calm. Clara wiped her brow, annoyed she didn't win.

Anakin stepped into the ring.

Anakin:
"You're both better. Clara, tighter footwork. Vincent…"

He paused.

Anakin:
"You're still listening to something else when you fight. I just don't know what."

Vincent:
"It's not voices. Just… pressure. Like something is waiting."

Anakin didn't answer at first.

Then his commlink crackled.

0331 RST – Inside the Temple, Mission Briefing Hallway

The hallway lights dimmed to alert status as the clone officer's voice came through.

Clone Officer (over comm):
"Commander Skywalker. Immediate recon. Suros sector. Classified Outer Rim moon. Jedi Command requests Padawans Hebb and Baker for insertion. No Knight assigned."

Anakin (quietly):
"…They're just kids."

Clone Officer:
"Command insists. Quiet deployment. Small footprint."

The commlink cut.

Clara glanced between them.

Clara:
"That wasn't a request, was it?"

Anakin turned to both of them.

Anakin:
"You leave in thirty minutes. No support. No Jedi Knight. Republic's picking up odd signals from an uncharted moon—no Separatist fleet, no droids. Just… static."

Vincent's brows narrowed.

Vincent:
"The Force is hiding something."

Anakin:
"Then see through it."

He turned to go, then stopped. Looked back at Vincent.

Anakin (softer):
"There's more in your blood than the Temple knows. Control it. Or someone else will."

0350 RST – Hangar Bay Epsilon

The transport ship rested on the lower platform, its underlights reflecting off the polished deck. Republic engineers loaded ration packs and field kits. Clone co-pilots gave quick nods to the Jedi.

Vincent stood at the edge of the ramp again, lightsaber clipped at his side, hood down.

Clara (approaching):
"First mission with real stakes."

Vincent:
"First time the Council looked my way without seeing my father."

She studied him.

Clara:
"You're afraid you'll disappoint them?"

Vincent:
"No."

A pause.

Vincent:
"I'm afraid they have no idea who I really am."

He turned and walked up the ramp.

Behind them, Coruscant's lights stretched like starlight into the clouds.

Far away—in deep space—the unnamed moon waited.

And something buried beneath its surface was beginning to stir.

TO BE CONTINUED...

Skibditoleit · May 13, 2025

CHAPTER TWO
"The Dark Awakens"
Date: 20th Day, Month of Galven, 0321 RST
Location: Uncharted Moon, Suros Sector

0500 RST – Hyperspace Transition

The ship's lights flickered as the engines powered down to enter the final stretch of their journey. Vincent sat alone in the cockpit, his hand absentmindedly tracing the edge of his lightsaber's hilt. The Force had been eerily quiet during the journey—like a shadow creeping across the edges of his perception. He wasn't used to this kind of silence. Normally, the Force buzzed around him, alive with whispers and guidance.

Now… it felt far away.

Vincent (muttering to himself):
"It's too still. Something's off…"

Clara's voice broke through the silence, though it wasn't loud enough to startle him. She'd been sitting beside him, staring out the window with the same distant expression.

Clara:
"Are you still thinking about it?"

Vincent glanced at her, meeting her green eyes for a second before turning back to the viewport. She didn't need to ask. Clara always knew what was on his mind.

Vincent:
"The mission? Yeah."

She leaned back, arms crossed, letting out a sigh.
Clara:
"I get it. I'm not exactly thrilled about it either."

Vincent turned to her with a raised eyebrow.
Vincent:
"Not thrilled? You're always thrilled about missions."

She shrugged, her usual confidence faltering for a brief moment.
Clara:
"Not when the Council doesn't even tell us why we're going. No Knight assigned, no intel. Just—go. Don't ask questions."

Vincent's mind replayed the last conversation he had with Master Plo Koon, one of the Council members. The stern yet measured tone of his voice as he gave the mission briefing still echoed in Vincent's mind. "There are disturbances in the Force around this moon, Vincent. We need your instincts."

Vincent:
"Not the first time the Council's kept us in the dark. I mean, they trust us enough to send us alone—must be something important."

Clara didn't seem convinced.
Clara:
"Or they think we're expendable."

Vincent's eyes flicked to hers. That wasn't an unreasonable thought. The Clone Wars were raging, and the Jedi Order had been spread thin, with more Padawans on the front lines and fewer Knights available for recon work. The Council didn't always give full explanations; their decisions were often based on the bigger picture.

But Vincent's thoughts went to his family—the legacy of the Hebb name. His father, Grandmaster Vincent Hebb, and his older siblings, Jake and Latinus, had long since left their marks on the Jedi Order. It was like they carried the weight of the galaxy's expectations with them, every mission tied to the Hebb legacy.

Did the Council see Vincent as just another Hebb, or did they have other reasons for sending him?

He wasn't sure. But he knew one thing: he was determined not to disappoint.

0510 RST – Entering the Atmosphere

The ship's descent cut through the dense clouds of the uncharted moon. The atmosphere was thin, barely holding any moisture. The viewport displayed jagged mountain peaks rising in the distance, but there was no sign of life—not even the usual insect or animal activity that accompanied almost every other planet. This was different.

Clara stood beside Vincent, her expression serious as she watched the rocky surface of the moon grow larger.

Clara (breaking the silence):
"Are we sure this is the place?"

Vincent was staring at the dark mass of land below them. The Force around him still felt off—like a pressure building just below the surface, waiting to explode.

Vincent:
"Feels like the right place."

But even as he said it, doubt gnawed at him.

Vincent:
"The Council didn't give us much. Just that this moon has been off the radar, but there's something unusual… The Force is hiding something from us. It's like it's… pressing in, but I can't see through it."

Clara let out a short laugh, though there was no humor in it.
Clara:
"Well, that's comforting."

Vincent didn't smile. Instead, he clenched his fists, the hilt of his saber warm in his grip.

0515 RST – Landing Zone, Valley of Shadows

The transport ship landed in a barren valley surrounded by dark, jagged peaks. The valley itself was silent—no wind, no sounds of creatures or even plants stirring. Vincent stepped off the ramp first, his boots sinking slightly into the dusty soil beneath him.

Clara followed closely behind, scanning the area, her expression serious. She activated her comlink, but there was no signal. The moon's atmosphere interfered with the usual communications. The Republic was isolated, and they were cut off from any reinforcements.

Clara:
"No comms. Great. Just like the rest of this mission."

Vincent:
"Focus. We're here to find what the Council wants us to. Just keep your eyes open."

As they walked deeper into the valley, the Force's pressure grew stronger. Vincent could feel it—something dark, ancient, buried beneath the ground. He wanted to reach out, but it felt like there was a wall between him and whatever lay in wait.

0520 RST – The Unknown Signal

The two Padawans made their way through the valley, each step feeling heavier as the air seemed to grow thicker. Vincent reached out with the Force again, trying to hone in on the disturbance.

Suddenly, the ground trembled.

A low, rumbling hum echoed from deep below, the sound reverberating through their bones. The air grew cold, and the sky darkened as if something large had passed overhead.

Vincent (whispering):
"Clara… do you feel that?"

Clara's eyes widened.
Clara:
"Yeah. It's like… something woke up."

Vincent felt a sharp spike in the Force, like a burst of energy surging through the valley. He turned, his heart racing, as the unmistakable presence of something dark pressed in on him.

Vincent (voice tight):
"We need to move—now."

But before they could take another step, something deep in the shadows moved. A figure—dark and tall—stood watching them from the distance.

The Force twisted around it, cold and suffocating.

Vincent's eyes widened in horror.

Vincent (breathing hard):
"Clara… run."