《The Regrets of Time》Offered Favors
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I groaned as I was coming to, more than a little confused by what I was feeling through the Force.
What was that...?
It felt like someone was using the Force to cradle my mind, which was strangely comforting for some reason.
Curious I followed the sensation with my groggy mind, only to find that the owner of that Force energy felt cold in the Force. A dark abyss that could swallow me whole in an instant.
I could even feel that the energy took the shape of a giant serpent within my minds image, making my heart flutter with dread.
Yet that coiled serpent did nothing.
It was simply wrapped around me as I slept.
Protecting me, even.
It felt familiar...
Something shifting beside my physical body drew my attention as the bed dipped, my eyes trying to flutter open at the sound of the sheets rustling with movement.
Wait... Bed...?
The last thing I remembered was sand... not...
It all came rushing back.
My jump with Sin.
The Force leaving me.
And even my passing out.
Thats right...!
I passed out in the sand somewhere, so how did I get on a bed?
Alarm made me push the comforting cold away, even as it tried to coax me back to the darkness surrounding my mind, but it only made me panic worse, and I shoved it away with everything I had, much to it's apperent irritation.
The light of consciousness immediately rushed over me as my blurry eyes snapped open, gasping in a breath of cool air into my lungs like I had been drowning only seconds ago.
W- What was-...?
I felt majorly disoriented, but could just make out a voice speaking beside me as I struggled to sit up.
'Calm yourself,' A weight gently pushes me back down on my back as the voice continues to speak. 'Your body is not yet ready to move around, Calese. Listen to me.'
That voice... it was... so familiar...
My mind struggled alongside my body, trying to remember who it belonged too.
...My master...?
Suddenly I stopped struggling, letting the weight on my chest hold me still as I squeezed my eyes shut and waited to gain my senses back.
The Force... I was so confused, but the Force would tell me what I needed to know. It would tell me the truth.
I needed the Force.
But as soon as I reached for it, the owner of the voice surrounded my mind in an instant. A wall of Dark Side Force firmly denying me access to the Light Side. To the Force as a whole, even, which irritated me greatly.
'Stop reaching for it, girl.'
The owner of the voice was starting to get impatient with me from the sounds of it. And very annoyed.
'If you come into contact with the Force right now it could cause some serious damage to your mind. Even severe your connection to the Force permanently.'
"B- But I can't-..." My croaking whisper fails me before I could even finish, making me fidget in frustration and worry.
Yet the strangest sensation lightly tickled across my mind as the owner of the voice scoffs.
'You shouldn't worry so much, padawan. With me here, you have nothing to fear.' The weight shifted. 'Look, I even found us a place to stay. Aren't I the generious one?'
My brow knitted in confusion at the smuggness of the voice. That definintely wasn't my Master... She'd never speak like that...
So then... Who did I know that could be so smug...?
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A few seconds passed before my eyes flashed open, vision finally clear as I focused on the weight- no- the creature that was on my chest.
His tail flicked in contempt as my eyes widened in relief and shock.
"Sin!" I couldn't help but shout as I sat up fast, forcing Sin to my legs in the process.
I was estatic, as I finally remembered who the voice belonged too.
Who the Force surrounding my mind belonged too.
Sin winced since we were so close, reaching his hand to rub his ear as he spoke into my relieved mind with irritation. 'Tsk. Stop your yelling girl, I'm right here- Hey!'
I ignored Sin's protests as I pulled him into my arms and hugged him tightly.
He only pushed against me halfheartedly, as if not to hurt me any more than I already was.
That thought just made me smile more and close my eyes.
"Thank the Force you're alright..." I whisper, making him still in my arms in genuine shock.
'Er- well yes, I am quite alright. More importantly though,' He pushes himself out of my arms this time, landing on the cover beside me.
'How are you feeling?' He looks to me intently, as if watching for something.
'Your mind and body didn't respond too well to my Force energy being forced through you in such a huge amount, even though it was required for us to Jump. It actually rejected the Force entirely once we arrived here in an attempt to protect itself.'
Sin seemed rather impressed as he spoke about what had happened, but I simply frowned.
That was shocking to hear.
So thats what caused me to have so many complications while Jumping?
I thought it was because I had Jumped so soon again after the first Jump...
Sin made a hmm of agreement, drawing my attention away from my thoughts. 'It was both, really. Also, I studied the Force in this timeline while you were unconscious and found out some interesting stuff about our new... situation.'
I simply frown harder, not doubting the truth of his words for a second, even though slight confusion seeped into my mind.
Did he just...?
'Ah yes, I forgot to tell you. Your mind shields are completely destroyed. It will take a little time for them to heal, so until then, you're going to be an open book to almost every Force user out there that we happen to run into.'
I draw back a little against the beds headboard in shock. "So you can- "
'Read your thoughts as well, yes.' I could tell by the smirk he had that he was amused by my current situation.
Panic sets in.
I didn't want him in my head! No way!
"But- !"
Sin raises his hand, silencing me before I could finish.
'Calm yourself Calese, I won't be in your mind unless I have to. Mainly, I'm just going to be protecting your mind from others, so of course that will require more than the normal connection between us.'
His tail wraps around him casually, yet somehow with a bit of smugness to it. 'Even you should understand such, yes?'
I really didn't like his attitude... I was fealing a bit...
My fists clench involuntarily.
Quite violent, actually.
'Must have something to do with Sin's Force energy surrounding my mind...' I couldn't help but think gloomily. 'Just swell...'
Sin seems to have picked up on that too though, cause his fanged grin returned full force, his eyes glowing brighter almost in encouragement of my anger as he sent a small chuckle through my head.
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'Honestly, you should be grateful that Im doing so much to help.'
His expression easily switched to a mock frown full of pity towards me.
'Its a shame that the Jedi teach you padawans to be so disrespectful to such generous beings as I.'
A spark of anger ignited in my chest at his words. "They don't teach us that, I just-..."
I clicked my mouth shut with audible force, cutting of the remainder of my words in an instant.
Ugh! What was I doing?!
I wasn't supposed to respond to such obvious traps!
Okay then, deep breaths.
He was just teasing me again, trying to incite me into anger.
I had to stay in control.
"No- Its just-... T- Thank you. I do appreciate it." I say, words reluctant but truthful.
I had a feeling that with Sin having to be so attached to my mind as he was, emotions were going to be a lot harder in general to control now.
Sighing I looked away from Sin, knowing I had to ignore my anger, as much as it irked me, in place of answers.
"So where are we anyway? Last I remembered was being face first in sand."
Sin chuckled at the memory as if it was an amusing sight, which it probably was, as
I looked around the beautifully designed room with growing worry.
It looked like a room for royalty. It was absolutely massive.
There was even a balcony that was currently open to the room, showing it was a beautiful day as I could even hear bird chatter and feel the breeze drifting in.
Wherever we were it seemed like quite a beautiful planet. Distant greenery and mountains could be seen.
Definitely not the sand planet from my first Jump.
"Seriously, where are we?" I glance to him with a little reluctant awe, sure I've underestimated him as my anger quickly dissipated. "And how did you get us in this kind of place? Itt looks like its for royalty."
Sin seemed to almost begin to tell me, but then something strange crossed his expression and he grinned, flashing his fangs mischeviously as a thought seemed to strike him.
'Hmm, do I get something for telling you? I've been protecting you for days while you've been unconscious, you know.'
Wait... my eyes widened. WHAT?!
I was out for a couple days?!
Well... that was certainly a new experience for me, but even so, he wanted me to give him something for telling me where the heck we were...?
Oh, maybe he meant for protecting me all that time?
I sigh.
Why was I even shocked anyway?
He was still a Dark Side creature, even if he played nurse for a couple days, so of course his services would have a price of some sort.
But... what could I give him...?
"Um..." I thought hard for a moment, not sure what to say. "Well... I could... Um..." A thought finally flashed across my mind. Welp. That would have to do, I suppose...
"Er- I'll answer any question of yours that you may have for me honestly...? A-and uh... help you with something...? I guess...?"
I look down, genuinely embarrassed for not having anything else to repay his kindness with.
"I don't have anything really, besides offering favors, so..."
I failed to see his smirk in victory though since I was looking down, his tail flicking as he waved his hand in dismissal. 'No no, that'll do quite nicely, actually. But it's for later. I won't be asking for any favors at the moment.'
That was relieving, yet worrying at the same time. "Really? Er- I mean- Very well then, it's a deal. Now tell me everything you've found out about this place, please."
He nods, a strange look in his eye at my easy agreement as he begins to tell me what I wished to know.
'Well little Calese, it seems we've finally landed in a good place this time. Relatively speaking. There's still a war going on in this point of time as well, but its nothing to worry about at the moment. I'll explain the specifics of it to you later. As for our lodgings, you have the Queen to thank for that. It appears that she has friends within the Jedi Order, and helps any passing Jedi, or in your case, padawans, that are in need of her help quite willingly. Which is why she was inclined to give us a room and whatever else I needed to help with your unconscious state at the time.'
A Queen? So I was in some sort of palace then?
And did that mean this Queen knew Sin was a Force creature as well...? Especially since they had to have spoken with each other mentally at some point, just as he did me...
No... never mind, That didn't seem believable. He probably lied about who- or what- he really was.
Now THAT was more believable.
Wait-... Did he just say the Order?
Then, the Order was still in this point of time?!
Thank the Force, my luck seemed to have returned!
I could finally go see the Council for answers!
It was unfortunate that there still seemed to be a war going on though... I'd just have to ask Sin about it later.
But first, I needed to know what planet we arrived on, to try and get an idea of what timeline we were in.
"So a Queen, huh? The Queen of what? Which planet are we on?"
Sin began to speak, but before he could respond the door clicks open, making me turn my head sharply to the sound as a woman that was dressed rather bizarrely with her attire, followed by what looked liked robed servants to me, entered.
I stared in shock at her makeup and clothing choice as Sin grinned beside me, obviously knowing something I did not, before turning to face the group who had entered and stopped near the door, amusement thick in his voice as he spoke to me.
'Calese, allow me to introduce you. This is the Queen of Naboo, the one who let you have this room while you slept the days away.'
He glances towards my slack and wide eyed face as I continued to stare, unable to speak to the new people in the room or respond to Sin's intentional jab at all.
'What the Bloody Hells is she wearing?!' I furiously thought to myself, completely distracted in my own dumbfounded mind.
I was so shocked I even subconsciously borrowed some words from Sin.
There was really no words I knew to cover what I was seeing before me though, so I didn't particularly mind.
Hearing my bewildered thoughts Sin laughed loudly in my head, enjoying every bit of the moments that I continued to make a fool out of myself in front of the Queen.
He definitely wouldn't be letting me live any of this down.
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