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Dantooine – Beneath the Temple
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The first rays of dawn cast long shadows over the Jedi temple as we gathered at the entrance to the newly uncovered chamber beneath the ruins. The air was thick with anticipation, the Force humming with a presence so ancient, so powerful, that it sent ripples through our very essence.
Ahsoka rested a hand on her twin sabers, eyes narrowed. "I don't like this. Whatever's down there… it's been waiting for a long time."
Kassy exhaled sharply. "No turning back now. We need to know what's beneath our feet."
With a flick of my wrist, my saber ignited, casting a cyan glow that barely penetrated the darkness below. "Let's find out."
The stone passage led downward, winding deeper beneath the temple than I had expected. The architecture was different—older, more precise than the upper ruins. It wasn't just Jedi craftsmanship. There was something else. Something that predated even the Jedi presence here.
Then we saw it.
At the end of the chamber lay a sarcophagus, its stone surface covered in inscriptions that pulsed faintly with the Force. Unlike the tombs of the Sith, this was not a prison. This was a resting place.
And whoever was inside had once been powerful beyond measure.
Ahsoka reached forward, pressing her palm against the stone lid. The moment her fingers touched the surface, a wave of energy pulsed outward, sending us all staggering backward.
The lid shifted.
And then, it opened.
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A figure sat up, exhaling a slow breath as if awakening from a long slumber. His hair, jet black and shoulder-length, was tied back loosely, and a well-kept beard framed his chiseled features. His eyes, once filled with the storm of conflict, were now calm, measured.
He looked like a man who had seen everything.
Ahsoka's grip on her sabers tightened. "Who… are you?"
The man turned his gaze toward her, toward all of us, studying us as if he were peering through the very fabric of the Force. His voice, when he spoke, was deep yet smooth, carrying the weight of ages.
"I am Ver An."
The words hung in the air like an unshakable truth. The name alone sent chills down my spine.
"Ver An? That name… It's not—" I started, but then the realization struck me like a thunderclap.
"Revan."
His eyes met mine, and for the briefest moment, a flicker of the past seemed to dance across his face. But he did not confirm nor deny it. Instead, he simply stood, rolling his shoulders as if adjusting to the weight of life once more.
"Revan is gone. I left that name behind long ago. I am simply Ver An now. A Jedi."
His clothing was striking—black leather robes, simple yet elegant, adorned with no insignia of allegiance. And at his belt, a single lightsaber rested, unignited but radiating an undeniable presence in the Force.
Kassy stepped forward cautiously. "You were… a Sith. A Jedi. A warrior, a ruler. You've been all of it."
Ver An nodded. "I was. And I fell. I rose. I lost. I learned. And in the end, I walked away." He turned his gaze upon us. "You stand at the crossroads of war. You are forging a path that has not been walked since the days of the Old Republic."
I took a slow breath. "We're creating a division of the Jedi Order. Paladins—dedicated to confronting the Sith directly, but also offering redemption to those who seek it."
A faint smile touched his lips. "A noble pursuit. But a dangerous one. The Dark Side is insidious—it offers many roads, many temptations."
Ahsoka crossed her arms. "That's why we need guidance. You clearly understand the pull of both the Light and Dark better than anyone."
For a long moment, he said nothing. Then, he finally spoke.
"Then I will stay."
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Ver An's presence transformed the temple almost overnight. Though we had already begun our training, he brought with him something far more valuable than technique.
Wisdom.
He taught the Jedi stationed on Dantooine how to balance their emotions, how to wield the Force without succumbing to its whispers. He did not preach of absolute detachment—he spoke of understanding, of control, of the knowledge that power in itself was neither Light nor Dark.
Like Master Cordova did when I was younger.
And for the first time, we truly understood what it meant to be Jedi.
It was fitting, then, that he would be the one to complete a journey long overdue.
Kassy had been a warrior for years, a Jedi without a formal title, a Knight in all but name. And so, at the center of the newly restored temple, surrounded by those she had fought alongside, she knelt before Ver An as he ignited his blue saber.
"Kassy Carsen, by the authority of the Jedi Order and the will of the Force, I name you Jedi Knight."
He touched the blade lightly to each of her shoulders, an old rite from the times before the High Republic, a tradition long forgotten in the modern Order.
Kassy exhaled, a weight seemingly lifting from her shoulders. As she stood, the temple erupted into applause.
I clapped her on the back. "About time."
She smirked. "Guess that means you have to listen to me now."
Ahsoka snorted. "Yeah, that's not happening."
Even Ver An chuckled at that.
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That night, we gathered at the holoprojector, the image of the Jedi Council flickering before us once more. But this time, something was different.
Master Windu's gaze was calculating, but not disapproving. "You have accomplished more than we anticipated. You have built a temple, gathered warriors, and now you have the guidance of a Jedi with wisdom far beyond our own."
Master Yoda's ears twitched. "A step forward, this is. The Paladins of the Jedi, approved they are."
Kassy and I exchanged glances. It was real.
Ver An stood at my side, arms crossed. "Then I will remain here. To guide them. To teach them what I have learned. To ensure they do not repeat the mistakes of the past."
Shaak Ti nodded solemnly. "Then the Dantooine temple is no longer an outpost. It is now a sanctuary."
The transmission ended.
I turned to my companions, to Ahsoka, to Kassy, to Ver An.
"This is just the beginning."
And beneath our feet, the ground pulsed.
The shadows of Dantooine still held their secrets.
And soon, we would uncover them all.
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