Tatooine's nights were dry, but without the daytime heat, it was at least bearable.
Everyone listened seriously— even Millisyn quieted down. She just thought the little green guy was fascinating: the way he spoke was funny, the stories were funny, and everything he said was interesting.
So that night turned into Master Yoda's public lecture.
Even though sitting in front of a device watching recorded lessons dredged up some unpleasant memories from Amir's previous life, he had to admit it—Yoda was genuinely captivating. What should've been the driest subject imaginable—history—became vivid, dramatic, full of rises and falls, and even cliffhangers. Especially the way he could leave suspense hanging inside a single sentence… alright, fine—those were inversions.
Obi-Wan didn't listen for long. He already knew the material, so he went to sleep early.
Kain forced himself to keep listening for a while, but he couldn't fight the drowsiness and ended up sleeping on the Traveler's big bed.
Amir and Millisyn didn't stay there all night either. They returned to the ship with Kain, listened a bit longer, then crashed to fix their body clocks.
By morning, Kain left a note saying he had something to handle, and headed out early. The others gathered again outside Obi-Wan's door. This time, Amir spoke with Obi-Wan privately about Millisyn and 32.
"Their dark-side Force presence is abnormal," Obi-Wan analyzed. "Someone who falls can return to the light as their state of mind changes. But Millisyn and 32 have little wrong with their mindset—yet their dark-side presence remains dense."
"Exactly. And Millisyn has had a dark-side surge before…" Amir told him what Millisyn had displayed in the lab when facing John Mori.
"A surge triggered by emotion…" Obi-Wan said. "What's her usual emotional state like?"
"Within normal bounds. There's no sign of the dark side 'guiding' her day-to-day," Amir said. Millisyn was nothing like the Imperial Inquisitors he'd seen—those radiated a roiling mess of anger, pain, and desire, constantly whipped up by the dark side. Millisyn and 32, by contrast, were stable and calm.
"That's good news—at least for now," Obi-Wan said. "But when their emotions spike, the dark side amplifies sharply."
Amir thought for a moment. "Almost like their bodies are… locked to the dark side. Like they can't convert to the light."
Obi-Wan lifted his head at that. "You just reminded me, Amir. I've seen records of species that can only use the dark side."
"That seems unlikely," Amir said. "There's no need to hardwire the Force into 'dark only' at the genetic level. You could achieve the same outcome with later conditioning. And every inserted fragment reduces the odds of success."
"True… and those species were only mentioned in records. Whether we could even find such a thing is unknown," Obi-Wan said, sinking into thought again.
"If it's not harmful right now, we set it aside," Amir said with a sigh. "Eventually we'll figure it out. Maybe it's some ancient Sith forbidden technique."
"Sith forbidden technique… that's actually possible," Obi-Wan said, frowning as he—again—fell deep into thought.
"Wait. I don't know the answer, but I can ask my teacher," Obi-Wan said suddenly, as if remembering something.
"Master Qui-Gon Jinn?"
"Yes. I'm learning the path of becoming a Jedi spirit under his guidance," Obi-Wan said.
"Can I meet him?" Amir asked, curious.
Qui-Gon Jinn was a Jedi of remarkable charisma—wise, loyal, and an exceptional mentor. Obi-Wan had once been his Padawan. Qui-Gon was unconventional, sometimes even rebellious, often defying the Jedi Code. After taking Anakin Skywalker off Tatooine, he'd insisted on training him despite the Council's objections—yet none of that diminished his loyalty to the Jedi Order or his pursuit of the light.
After being killed by Darth Maul, Qui-Gon returned as a Jedi spirit, watching over the living. After the Clone Wars, he finally found a way to reach the physical world again—making contact with Master Yoda and teaching him how to become a Jedi spirit as well.
Not long ago, Obi-Wan had successfully reunited with his former master.
Amir deeply admired this legendary Jedi.
"He's always here," Obi-Wan said. "When you're ready, you'll see him. And Master Qui-Gon wants to meet you as well."
Right. More mystic nonsense.
Amir reached out through the Force around them, slowly flattening his thoughts—then he noticed something strange.
It felt like a form of the Force, but not a concentrated mass of it. It was more like something dissolved into the surrounding Force—becoming part of it—yet still retaining mind and emotion.
If you had to name it… it was a soul.
And that was exactly what it was: a Jedi spirit.
Amir opened his eyes.
A half-transparent figure stood in the open space before them. Long gray-white hair fell behind his head, blending into a wild, messy beard.
"Master Qui-Gon?" Amir asked.
"Hah. I didn't expect you to see me this quickly," Qui-Gon smiled—like someone looking at a talented junior he approved of.
"You can see him?" Obi-Wan stared at Amir, then at Qui-Gon. "Oh— it took me more than ten years!"
Qui-Gon and Amir both laughed.
"Looks like I'll be teaching the two of you together," Qui-Gon said.
"What are you talking about?! Did you run into a ghost?!" Millisyn ran over from where she'd been playing, looking at Amir and Obi-Wan with fear.
Obi-Wan gave her a mischievous grin. "Actually—yes."
Millisyn immediately fled in panic.
"I still need to go check the ruins on Hoth," Amir said. "When I get back, save me a seat in your little class."
He hadn't come back to settle down—he planned to head for Hoth right away.
That ruin felt different from the one on Gudrian. The dark-side aura there made Amir uneasy.
"Of course," Qui-Gon smiled. "I don't have a clear answer to what you were discussing either, but I'll keep an eye out for clues."
With a light wave, Qui-Gon faded away.
Another cool old man.
"Looks like you've gotten stronger again," Obi-Wan said, spreading his robe with a grin. "How about your master gives you a lesson?"
Why did that sound like the old man had ulterior motives?
"Gladly," Amir said, drawing his lightsaber.
"Yesss! Are you guys gonna fight? I want to watch!" Millisyn lit up.
"This is called sparring, young apprentice," Obi-Wan said. "Watch carefully."
A moment later, the two lightsabers met in the open ground.
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🌌 Star Wars: Relics of the Past
📢 The Force Calls! 📢
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