章 21: Ch 21 A bundle of joy!
(What can I say except, you're welcome~!)
(I have returned yet again and bring you a chapter of 10k words to apologise. Technically, it was just because I wanted to get through a lot.)
Following Ben's journey through a desolate wasteland and acquisition of three Twi'lek apprentices for the small price of a slave empire, he was now on a new journey.
Ben's new ship, the Ebon Hawk, is in the midst of travelling through a hyperlane while its passengers finally found the right time to get properly acquainted.
After his apprentices had cleaned and reclothed themselves, Ben took them to the main hold and sat them down in some seats around a large round console, which just so happens to include the ship navigation computer. The main feature was the holo projector, useful for both communications and tactical planning. In other word, it is a really useful table and/or seat, as proven by Ben himself as he sat on it and stared at the nervous trio.
Seeing the three of them shifting away in their seats, Ben was felt bad for them. The reason for their restlessness unfortunately being because of the slave conditioning they had undergone.
With a soft sigh, Ben gently smiled and used the Force to sooth them. It was a bit taxing even though he has a lot of power, but the effects were worth the expenditure as the girls started to relax and gave their attention to him, their new Master.
It was then that he slowly stopped using his power and began to speak. "Please, relax. We aren't going to be doing anything major yet. First, introductions are in order. My name is Benjamin Tennyson, but I prefer to just be called Ben." He gave a polite bow, after which he grinned at them with a look of eager interest and asked. "What are your names!?"
At this moment, Ben was like a kid on his first day at school and was excited to make some new friends. This wasn't an act in any way, as he was genuinely excited to have them around.
Spending almost a year with zero social interaction had left him a little sad, but now that he had companions, he is looking forward to getting to know them.
None of this worked against him however, as the three girls were actually liking how nice he was. This was all thank to his CHA stat, after all, how could someone with a portion of a gods charm/charisma not be liked by others. It's not like he is one of those heroes that seek attention. *cough*OG Ben...
The Twi'lek trio looked at each other and then the blue girl began to speak for them. "G-Greetings, h-honourable Master-eh!?!"
She was suddenly silenced as Ben had walked over and hugged her. "I know you're scared that I will turn out like those curs, but I know how it feels to be shackled like a dog just for others amusement..." His statement made their eyes widen in shock. "So when I say this, I mean it. I will NEVER betray my family." And this made their noses wrinkle as they started get teary eyed. "When you became my apprentices, that meant I will treat you as my family."
Ben had let go of the girl so that he could look at all of them, the seriousness and determination he held made them know that he meant what he was telling them. This lead to the three suddenly hugging him as the blue sister buried her head in his stomach and tried not to cry.
The youngest and healthiest of them, the orange sister latched on to his right side and cried out, meanwhile the red sister caught his left side and hid her face downwards so that nobody would see her cry.
Of course, Ben returned their show of affection and wrapped his arms around the other two to comfort them, subsequently making direct contact with their head tails, their Lekku and causing their bodies to stiffen, before comfortably relaxing. Ben also noted how soft and squishy their Lekku were, making a mental note to make a request to touch them again.
"## n#m# ## ###te..." The blue sister said into his stomach, preventing her from being understandable. She had to lift her head while she sniffled a bit and restated with an adorable smile. "My name is Vette Master!"
"Heh?" Ben almost had to tilt his head in confusion. Hearing the name of a very popular SWTOR follower, what else was he supposed to do. It couldn't possibly be coincidence.
Unfortunately, he wouldn't be getting the chance to properly process that, as along with his mental servers lagging, he had two others to give his attention to.
"My name is Thalia, Master!" The girl with red skin said, trying to imitate her sister but sounding a bit more rigid. She didn't even raise her head
And then finally. "H-hello master, I'm Maila and thank you for saving us..." Said the final sister timidly and with a shy embarrassment as he orange skin had a become darker around her cheeks.
Not that Ben could see the faces of the latter two thanks to their positions, but he could feel their happiness radiating through the Force and continued to hug them for a bit longer, before patting their back and releasing them as they did the same.
The three girls were sniffling a bit as they wiped their tears away, but they were much calmer than before and with their feelings unified, their connection through the Force was revealed before Ben once again.
Ben had an excited grin on his face and focused some of his attention on the connection, analysing it through his own use of the Force so that he can get a better understanding of it. This would be quite useful for when he is training them.
For right now however, he decided that it would be best to call it a day. His apprentices have gone through a lot emotionally for one day, so he gave them each a pat on the head and said. "It's been a long day and we will have to wait a little while before arriving at our destination, so why don't you three go back to your room and get some sleep."
Vette nodded with a smile, while Maila released a cute little yawn, consolidating the theory that they would be tired. Thalia also saw their little sis yawn and gently took her hand, getting ready to guide her to her bed.
Surprising Ben a bit, the girls gave him another hug for comfort. "Good night Master..." They held on to him for a lingering moment, before letting go and making their way to bed, Vette taking hold of Maila other hand and guiding her with Thalia.
It was a little strange to Ben that they had grown so comfortable with him in such a short time, but he couldn't help gently smiling as he watched them leave and softly saying. "Good night..."
He wasn't sure about actually taking them in as his apprentices and still isn't, mostly because he doesn't know much about taking care of traumatised children, but the warmth in his chest made him sure that he was making the right choice. It felt good to think he could actually save them from their horrid fate, especially with some of the similarities their story shares with his own dark past... But, that's not a story he's fond of.
After waiting until they were gone, Ben turned around to the holo projector and started messing with the controls to check that they were still on course and that there were no unexpected variables
To be honest, he didn't need to do this because he could sense outside the ship even now, so he would know if something was wrong, likely before the ship. Checking nonetheless, he found everything to in order and began to leave for the starboard dormitories.
As he walked he opened up his system store screen and started buying some tools.
...
An hour later and Ben had renovated the dorm into his own room. He had installed a big bed against the back of the room and set up a high tech computer for him to enjoy. Around the room hung some red and black banners that show the same red hourglass symbol on his watch.
With his room finished, Ben fell back on to his bed and unequipped his armour for the first time in almost a year, mentally commanding the Omnitrix to give him some comfortable pants.
Not bothering to get under the sheets, he clapped and made the lights turn off, then quickly fell asleep. After spending so much time in the wild, where he refused to go to sleep and chose to meditate instead, it was nice to be in a comfortable bed with four walls keeping you just that tiny bit safer.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-\-.-/
Shortly into Ben's long overdue slumber, he was forced awake by the tiny pitter-patter of feet running from across the ship. Realising it was just one of the girls likely going to the toilet, he closed his eyes again and started to shut off.
Unexpectedly however, the runner came straight to his room instead, he opened his eyes and slowly started to sit up. He looked over just as the doors opened and revealed a frantically crying Maila, but the moment she saw Ben, she dashed over and hugged him as she continued you cry. "Wahhh!!!"
Seeing her like this, Ben lift her on his lap and held her tightly as he comforted her. "Shh... It's okay Maila, I'm here. You're safe." He gently stroked her back to calm her down and asked. "What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?"
Maila looked up at him with her big watery eyes and sniffled as she tried to explain with a nod. "Mm!... I dreamt that we were still locked up and you didn't come save us, then a big, horrible and scary person came and took us instead! And-and..." She started to get worked up again and was about to begin crying again, but Ben pulled into a tighter hug and she hid her face again.
Just continuing to stroke her back, Ben thought to himself about what she said. 'It must have been a Force vision... I wonder if that was the dark presence I felt as we left.' He started to ponder over who it might have been, but looked down and saw Maila had fallen asleep.
Shaking his head of unnecessary questions, Ben tried to lift his little apprentice but her strong grip wasn't letting him go easily. In the end, he chuckled and shook his head before deciding to shuffle backward on the bed, lying down properly with Maila cuddling into him as he return to sleeping again.
Not too long later, two more tiny figures joined the cuddle session and they all slept comfortably.
---
Waking up after a good night's rest, Ben felt relieved of any and all accumulated stress from the previous months. Though, as he looked down at his little apprentice to wake her up, he was surprised to see not just Maila, but her sisters as well.
'When did they sneak in?...' He thought to himself, only to shrug and dismiss it as them also having bad dreams.
He had no problem leaving them to sleep, but he had to get up and with his Omnitrix not fully functioning, he can't just become a ghost anymore to escape their grasp.
So, with no other choice, he gently shook them to awaken them. As they started to wake up from their first peaceful night in a while, the three alien lolis yawned and rubbed the eyes. Maila in particular remembered being hugged by Ben as she slept and snuggled into him sleepily. "Morning Master..." She said in a sleepy tone.
'Cute.' Ben thought to himself as he smiled, stroking her head and lekku, making her bury her face in his chest as she release a small moan that Ben perceived as comfort. After a few more seconds he stopped stroking her head and used the Force to move them off him so that he could get up. "Okay girls, I'm off to make breakfast. You three go get changed please."
Receiving still sleepy nods, Ben smiled and took his leave. With his skill, it was no problem make a nutritious and tasty breakfast, so everything was ready for the girls when they arrived.
Ben didn't stay to eat with them he went to the cockpit and started checking how long it would be before they would arrive at the first planet he picked on his exploration of the galaxy.
The Navicomputer showed an estimate of 2-3 days. Now he's no expert on space travel so he can't tell if that's good or not, given that he'd never done it before and only knows how to work everything thank to his skills, but it does give time for the little ones to heal.
Spinning around, he got up from his seat and started to wander the ship. 'I'm pretty sure there was some stuff I could heal them with in the medbay. If none of that works, I can try Force healing more or buy something from the system again.' With that thought, he smiled carefreely and continued on his way.
---
Three days later, the Ebon Hawk had safely arrived at its destination. Ben had already landed on the planets surface and was just waiting to exit with his apprentices.
For the past few day, he healed the girls bodies and gave them nutritious meals to help speed up their recovery. It also helped that he had been constantly Force healing them during the night, as they kept getting in his bed for security. Not that, that was easy due to the excessive amount of power he had to use to perform simple Force heals.
Overloading his Light side techniques was the only reason they work at this point. He hasn't been able to figure out why, but his best assumption was that he just didn't have talent for Light side techniques. But, that just made him more adamant to master the art, and he can train to do so while teaching the other three.
Quite quickly, his apprentices arrived in front of him, dressed in basic gray training uniforms and awaiting instruction. Ben nodded at them and turned around while equipping his Revan armour, before stoically giving his command. "Follow." Pressing a button on the wall, the exit ramp began to lower and when it was fully open he began his descent.
Slightly surprised by the change in how he acted, the girls became a little stiff from nervousness, but followed him all the same. When they stepped off the ship, the were greet by only sand and stone. They looked around in confusion and wondered if they had even left Zygerria due to how similar the worlds are.
As the girls were looking around, Ben took a moment to close his eyes and as he took a breath, he released his presence through the Force and connected to the long dead planet. Not that it mattered that it was dead. It was, after all, the ancient home world of the Sith... The Dark side enveloped the planet like it had taken on a form of Nercromancy and kept it from its fated collapse.
When he was connecting with the planet, Ben was able to feel just how much the planet had gone through in over more than a millennia and it responded, eagerly welcoming him into its darkness as if welcoming him home...
Ben felt quite comfortable here for some reason, but he wouldn't allow it to blind him of his purpose here. He'd had quite enough of that before coming to this universe.
Taking a step, he began making his way to a certain place. The moment he started walking, the girls took notice and followed him.
While he was walking through the desert landscape, Ben gave some insight as to why they were. "As I have told you, I will teach how to wield the Force. But, I will first show you the result of misusing this gift. Of falling to temptation."
It was Vette that decided to ask the most important question they had. "What planet is this Master?" She was feeling weird and uncomfortable since before the landing. It wasn't just her though, as Maila had been the same and already begun holding her hand for reassurance.
This was normal though, they were young and Force sensitive, the Dark side was a scary thing to them.
Unlike her sisters however, Thalia was mostly unperturbed by the darkness of the planet and felt kind of at home. Her biggest problem was that she felt a pull drawing her somewhere, but it was from the same place they were already heading based on their Masters chosen direction, so she wasn't too bothered by the pull.
"We are on the planet Korriban. Once ancient home world of the Sith, the users of the Dark side of the Force." Ben told her simply, before continuing to explain things in more detail for them. "The Force is often perceived as the 'Light Side' and the 'Dark Side'.
The Light side is primarily taught by the Jedi, who believe attachment to be wrong and that you must relinquish your emotions to be at peace with the Force. So, they choose to be 'Peace Keepers', though they are constantly at the forefront of the most recent conflict with a weapon in hand. Hypocrites in my opinion.
As for the Dark side, it is the teachings of Sith, those who believe their emotions to be a source of power instead. They will tell you that only power matters and the Force is only a tool to free themselves of others rules. Such people care only about themselves and become weaker for it.
Both sides are wrong in my opinion.
The Force does not care about the Light or the Dark, it cares about all its children. That is what I have come to believe upon meeting you three. The Force guided a person such as myself to save you three. Three Force sensitive children that share an incredibly unique connection to each other and the Force.
To simplify it for you, your emotions are the Key, but only when controlled with a firm will.
I suppose it's what most in the know would call a "Gray Jedi", but I'd prefer to stay from their silly little titles and just view it all as one, there is only the Force."
His speech was a bit long winded, but the girls somewhat managed to keep track of what he was saying and would hold it in mind for the future.
"But Master, why are we on this planet then...?" Maila asked shyly, still not able to speak confidently with him.
"To see." He said sternly and then remained silent. They were nearing in on a large structure that the ship was landed near and it was at this moment that he raised his hand as though he was lifting something.
The ground rumbled and the sand was displaced as structures rose up from the ground. They were tombs of ancient Sith. Lowering his hand, Ben continued towards the tombs with no signs of distress.
For the girls however, that was not the case. No, they were holding each other tightly in fear as a sandstorm seemed to suddenly pick up and shadowy figures made themselves known to them.
They were the spirits of ancient Sith and were whispering into their audio receptors, trying to temp them to join the Dark side. Scared by the ghosts of the Sith, the girls shut their eyes while beginning to cower.
But then, Ben's voice rang in their ears, calm and yet powerful enough to overshadow all the other voices. "Do not fear them apprentices, these spectres are mere fractions of the beings they once were, miserable wretches that they are. Fear is to be faced and overcome. It is both a strength and a weakness." As he spoke, the spirits were repelled and the storm disappeared in an instant. "They are pitiful existences that refused to return to the Force and used the Dark side to preserve part of their soul to exist after death, too afraid of their inevitable end."
His way of referring to the spirits was full of distain and caused them to start howling angrily. They tried to attack him, but were unable to make it past his Force barrier.
Ben turned around to the girls. "The reason I brought you here, is for you to see what you may become if you aren't careful. Like these cretins, death is not to be feared, so long as you live your lives to the fullest." He said strongly, a heavy feeling coming from him. This was Ben's belief after his first life, because in that life, he wasn't given such luxury and his near death at the claws of Ah Puch had cemented this belief.
The girls were concerned about their most important Master when they felt a strange aura from him, but didn't get the chance to figure out what it was as a sickening, cruel and yet mocking laugh rang out from deeper into the graveyard.
"You speak so ill of us, but are you not the same as us?" The mocking voice echoed through the Force. Then, another, much more distinct spirit came from a tomb deep inside the ruins. "Do you try to hide it? We all sense your darkness, the stench of death that envelopes you. You are a being that has also defied death, so how are you different from us?"
Hearing this from the spirit he identified as Darth Bane, Ben was mildly surprised that they could feel such things from him, but it made little difference to him when taking in consideration the inevitable that was to come.
Remaining calm in the face of the spirit of Darth Bane, Ben chuckled. "True, I have died, but I live for a very different reason. And what makes me different... Is power!!" With a shout, Ben release a tsunami of pressure through the Force.
"WHA-!?! NOOOOOO!!!-" The spirits screamed in horror and rage as they were hit the wave of destructive Force, being continously pushed back as their ethereal bodies were being burnt away from contact with the shockwave of raw power.
The Force wave didn't just stop at pushing them and ultimately encompassed them. It went so far as to cover the entire planet, but it did no damage to anything physical.
On Korriban, there had to be thousand of tombs and spirits to inhabit them. All of them were covered and broken down by the wave of power that should be impossible for anyone to possess, yet a mysterious stranger did and controlled with ease.
Moments of silence passed and then Ben pulled back his power, taking the remnants of the Sith spirits with it. With the collection of spirits, he condensed them into a single pure form of Dark side energy. It gathered in his right hand and shrouded it in a black fog, before Ben absorbed it into himself.
The desolate planet Korriban, was now truly dead... When he drained the spirits of their essence, he also took the dark and negative Force from the planet itself, removing all the remaining chance of a lifeform visiting it in the future. It was only a matter of time before it crumbled away and disappeared from the galaxy.
This was the plan from the beginning after all and it would be the first among many of the world he would bring to a swift destruction. Although, the planet would still persist for some time before it will eventually collapse and break apart to drift through the cosmos.
To Ben however, it barely made his control shudder as he suddenly gained another 14k or so to his Mana reserves. Shifting his attention back to his wide and starry-eyed apprentices, Ben restrained a chuckle as he calmly asked. "Any questions?
Without hesitation, Thalia spoke with a deep desire. "Can we ever become as powerful as you..?" Her desire for power had been awakened after taking a glimpse at what the Force has to offer.
"As strong as I am now? With guidance and perseverance I imagine together you three could get close to my strength and do whatever you want once I'm gone." Answering, Ben gave a small display of what he can do and ripped a big rock out of the ground behind him. "This will be an easy enough feat for you three in the future, I assure you."
Initially reminded that their Master would someday leave, the girls had a moment of sadness, but it was quickly overshadowed by the small mountain that was now floating in front of them. The "easy enough feat" that Ben was demonstrating was beyond what any of them imagined.
But Ben hadn't finished and said. "With a few lucky chances, together, you three could become far more powerful than what I currently am."
Hearing that they could be more powerful than their Master, they were quite shocked and Vette was prompted to ask. "Can we really become stronger than you, Master?"
Chuckling slightly, Ben brought his hands to his head and removed his helmet, before petting her head while grinning. "I said you could become more powerful than I am right now, but don't think I won't be training as well. I'm always getting stronger after all."
Vette's tiny blue face turned a shade darker as she let out a hum that sound like she enjoyed his touch a bit too much. "Ahhhhhn!... Umm... R-right! Sorry Master, I um-" Realising her slip, she tried to correct herself.
Assuming that she thought he was upset, Ben just laughed lightly and said. "Don't worry Vette, I won't get upset with you for such little things." He removed his hand and simultaneously started to lower the mountain he ripped from the ground.
Seeing that Ben's attention was off of her, Vette turned to her sisters while still blushing. Like herself, they were also sporting blushes of their own as they stare back at her.
Their facial expressions changed repeatedly, going from embarrassment to thoughtful to apprehensive, before settling on being slightly guilty mask mostly by shyness as they delved into their own little worlds.
Unknown to the girls, Ben's attention wasn't entirely off them, so when he saw their silent conference, their eyes locked on each other as they seemed to enter a world of their own, the ever growing embarrassed expressions they have leaving him confused.
He was confused as to why they were so embarrassed, but couldn't help noticing the fact that the three girls would actually do this a lot and lead him to wonder. "Hey, girls. By any chance, can the three of you speak with each other through your thoughts?" He set his rock down and looked back to them.
Hearing the question, they were a bit shocked because it was a secret and yet their Master figured it out after only a few days. 'As expected from Master!' The three girls thought with admiration.
The three of them looked at Ben and nodded, making Ben smile with his own sense of admiration. "That's rather amazing for you to do at such a young age and with no training. How clearly can you hear each other? Can you feel anything else from each other?"
Vette calmed herself and he blush subsided as she answered. "Yes Master, we can also feel each others feelings and sometimes..." Suddenly she quietened down and a gloomy looks appeared on all three of their faces. "Sometimes we can see what Thalia sees and feel what she feels, but not as bad."
Hearing this, Ben's gaze fell on Thalia as she held her neck and grit her teeth as she remember her intense hatred for the Zygerrians that tormented her.
Feeling her emotions, Ben sighed sympathetically and pulled her into a hug, his hand subconsciously starting to gently stroke her Lekku. "Remember what I told you my dear Thalia, let your hatred become a memory. One that you can use to fuel you, only when it is YOU who chooses to use it. I'm sure the last thing you want is to become a slave to your emotions."
Surprisingly, her hate quickly disappeared and was replaced with comfort as she moaned into his embrace, while rubbing her face against his chest like cat. She even wrapped her arms around him in return.
Now seeing her acting spoiled, Ben had a wry smile as he felt what the whiplash was like seeing someone switch from 'Let's Murder!!' to practically purring like a kitten. He couldn't help thinking to himself. 'Is this how the others felt whenever I went on a rampage..?'
He chuckled to himself and continued to stroke her Lekku, which he'd taken to doing on a regular basis for the three of them. He hasn't been told to stop yet and they enjoyed it, so he completely forgot about asking them if they want him to stop and just did as he pleased, in turn pleasing them. It was a win-win for them. Kind of...
After having his fill of touching the strangely appealing head tails, Ben removed himself from the redder than normal girl and stepped away to look at them. "Now, I have shown you the worst end you could have, so it is up to all of you to ensure that you do not become like those abominations..." He told them with a neutral gaze.
The girls nodded in understanding with firm expressions, telling their Master that they truly understood his teachings.
Staring at them for a moment longer, Ben was looking for any vulnerability within them... But, when he surprisingly found none, he released sigh of relief and then smiled. "Excellent! In that case, training starts now."
"Yes, Master!" The three shout in unison while maintaining their firm gazes. They had glimpsed what real power was and each had their own reason for desiring it.
And so, with their response, their new type of painful training began...
- Timeskip -
Two months galactic months had passed on Korriban and while the girls hadn't improve to rapidly, but their bodies were now in perfect condition, while they were slowly getting stronger and stronger thanks to the constant Force healing they underwent when they were sleeping. And because of the Force healing, they unconsciously started to grasp how to use the Force.
Ben on the other hand, as usual, his gains were more monstrous than others. Having spent many hours increasing his Mana by 24,000. Okay, that wasn't entirely true as he only spent 8 hours a day meditating and most of that was at night.
Anyways, it was just after the girls just finish finished some combat training with their very own toy lightsabers and were doing some stretches to cool down. This was how Ben decided to train them in saber fighting.
It would be plain madness to give them real ones when they were untrained, so this was the wisest choice. And the funniest in his opinion.
Ben gave them some time to rest, before abruptly lifting them to their feet with the Force and telling them. "Apologies girls, but if you want to rest, then you will have to do so on the ship. We're leaving." He was currently wearing his Revan gear, which alway gave him an air of seriousness and superiority, making his voice accurately comes across that he was giving an order.
Hearing that they were leaving the girls perked up a bit and started to follow behind him as they saw him turn to the ship. However, they were curious about this sudden decision, and so Vette inquired to Ben about it. "Master, may I ask why we are leaving so suddenly?" She wore a polite smile as she asked, making her seem more mature than one would expect.
"Yes. This planet is soon to collapse." Continuing to walk, Ben answered briefly, as had become his more common behaviour when he wears his Revan gear, a way to commemorate the original. Inside, demurely thinking to himself. 'I though it would last longer, but whatever...'
The girls behind him simply nodded in understanding, that was reason enough to leave and even if the planet weren't collapsing, they were happy to get off the desert world that left them feeling even more tired after a hard day's worked.
As they got to the ship, the moment Ben stepped inside, he unequipped his gear and instantly became more relaxed as he made his way to the cockpit. Behind him, cheerfully followed Maila, who had taken an interest in just about everything machine related.
Ever since she saw him doing maintenance on the ship, she had tagged along to observe and help where she can. She found joy in working on the ship and doing it spending time with her Master made it all the better.
Getting to the pilots seat, Ben sat down and quickly had his lap occupied by his orange student, who had become quite attached to him at this point. It brought him a great deal of worry when he thought about his eventual departure, but figured it would be okay after a few years, when she matures and grows out of it.
With a small chuckle, he gave her a pat on her head, eliciting a happy giggle from the girl as he started up the ship. Making sure that Maila could observe everything.
In no time, the ship was off the planets surface and once more flying amongst the stars. Maila had the time of of her life thanks to Ben letting her steer for a while, before he engaged the hyperdrive and left the ship on autopilot, so that they could go to bed.
...
Ben was lying in bed while circulating his Mana with his eyes closed. Unfortunately, because of their excitement over finally leaving Korriban, the girls couldn't sleep and kept giggling while cuddling together with Ben.
Stilling lying with his eyes closed, Ben began talking to them. "Seen as you can't sleep, would you three like to hear a story."
Hearing this, the three girls lifted their heads and said. "Yes please."
Smiling a little, Ben started. "A long time ago, there was a Sith apprentice who went through many trials and ended up becoming a saviour of the entire Galaxy. And through it all, standing at his side was his dearest companion, a Twi'lek girl named Vette."
Surprised by the name, the girls stared at him even more intensely and listened with wonder as he started to tell them the tale dated from the Old Republic era. What he didn't mention, was that this was his story from playing the Old Republic MMORPG from his old world, but such little details aren't necessary.
---
After that night, many more passed and Ben continued to tell his tales for them to fall asleep to.
Following on from their training on Korriban, Ben took them to many different planets, with all kinds of terrains to train in and adapt to. But most importantly, they met many other traveller and fought all kinds of creatures, allowing Ben to collect various DNA sample.
While the girls training was still early on in the process, they were still able to grow strong enough and smart enough to be able to better look after themselves if they were to go out on their own. But, then again, why would they ever wish to leave their dear Master.
By being with Ben, they had learned how to do many things they never imagined and more importantly, felt happy just from being with him. Plus, he had shown them such amazing things, like bare handed fighting a Rancor on a visit to Felucia.
As for the girls themselves, they had found their own hobbies. Like how Maila found an interest in engineering and piloting, Thalia took to being a combatant like a natural.
Thalia would relentlessly train to be better and stronger, even when she didn't have to, surpassing her sisters and well on her way to becoming an elite warrior. When asked why she trained so hard, she had this to say. "I never want my sisters to be hurt again, so I'm going to be strong enough to protect them." Seeing the conviction in her eyes, from that moment on Ben started to give her extra training, so that she could achieve her goals.
As for Vette, she took Ben's stories to heart and made it her goal to be able to support her family no matter what. This led to Ben teaching her a variety of skills, including but not limited to; shooting, computer and medical skills. She took it upon herself to cover for wherever her sisters lacked.
But, despite all the training, there was no shortage of fun in their lives as no matter where they went, Ben would ensure that their lives were fun and exciting.
A year passed by in a flash and Ben decided that it was time to give the girls a test. That was why at this moment, he was on the planet known as Nar Shaddaa and was entering a shabby looking building with all kinds shady of characters hanging around.
As he entered, all eyes of those inside turned to him, scanning over his body or more specifically his armour, weapons and the way he held himself. It was all important, as it let them determine whether he is a hunter or prey and based on how many turned their gazes away like he was a plague, it was clear that they knew he was neither.
However, there were always those that didn't know their place in the world.
Disregarding all of the insignificant gazes on him, Ben walked straight over to a counter, behind which stood the bartender. An Ithorian male that seemed to be tired as he continued to wipe a glass with the cloth in his hand.
Ithorians were a sentient species from the planet Ithor. They have a unique set of twin mouths on opposite sides of their necks with four throats, making them speak in stereo with deep, rumbling voices. Their unique throat structure prevented them from speaking Galactic Basic Standard, but this is mitigated by a number of devices, such as the translator collar, which allowed translation from Ithorese into Basic.
Sitting down, Ben gave his order in Ithorese while dumping a few credits on the counter. "I want something alcoholic." The bartender did as asked and quickly served him, amazed that another species could so immaculately speak his native language.
Picking up his drink, he unequipped his mask while keeping his hood up, to down his beverage. This way, no one could see his face besides the bartender.
The Ithorian bartender looked at Ben with a bit of shock seeing how he still looked young for a human, as he had also felt a dangerous air from Ben and felt a bit of fear, but had a lot of experience in his profession.
There was also the sharp glint the bartender saw in Ben's eye as he drank, telling him that he could die in a moment. So, when he looked behind Ben and saw a drunk Rodian, he felt like groaning.
Rodians are a species of reptilian humanoids. They possess large pupil-less eyes that can see in infrared spectrum. Rodians also have twin saucer-like antennae that detected vibrations and twitched atop their head. Rodians also have slender snouts, pointed ears, and a ridge of spines cresting their skulls.
Behind Ben, a drunk Rodian stumbled over and place his hand on Ben's should while speaking with a slur in his home dialect in stead of Galactic basic. "H-heeyyyy... What's with the fancy armour???"
Suddenly the entire cantina went silent. The atmosphere was tense, but a thick excitement was present within the bloodlust filled gazes.
Beginning to release some of his Intimidation at an increasing rate, Ben slammed down his cup as he re-equipped his mask and coldly said in basic. "You have exactly three seconds to remove your hand and leave. 1..." He immediately began his count.
The drunk Rodian remained unawares to his situation however. "Hooh, yerrr not so tough, you don't scare me..." He continued to sloppily say while swaying.
"2..." Ben continued, showing no signs of getting ready to fight, making the Rodian more emboldened.
"Hahaha, you don't got nothing! Look at this everyone, he thinks he's scary..." His ego had been boosted and made him look for validation from the crowd, before turning back to Ben with his gaze falling on to the Lightsaber on Bens side and reaching for it. "Huh? What's this-"
"3." Ben immediately elbowed the Rodian, sending him flying back and rebounding off the wall. "Pest..." Ben stood up with an annoyed sigh and walked his way over to the groaning alien. "Time to make an example of why I'm not to be annoyed."
With no remorse, Ben stomped on the Rodians leg and completely destroyed it from the knee down. Everyone gasped at sight, both impressed and disturbed by the show of strength.
Meanwhile, the Rodian started to scream in horror, agonising over his lost leg while trying to crawl away. "What's wrong little Rodian? I thought I wasn't scary?" Releasing more of his Intimidation, Ben stood over the fool that provoked him, looking like a monster in humanoid form.
Looking up in terror and pain, the Rodian could only stutter as it tried to plead. "I-I-I-!!"
"Shut up filth." Annoyed by the snivelling bug, Ben kicked the man in the face and put a foot on his chest before, without warning, he ripped his head off while pulling his spine with it. "I won't bother wasting my time with you any longer."
Dropping the foolish drunks head, he turned back around and returned to his seat. Under the wary and mostly fearful gazes of the rest of the patrons, Ben waved his hand and repelled the blood from the Rodian, splattering it on to some others that seemed to have been friends with the deceased. All of them trembling in fear.
This display instantly made the wiser ones think of the Jedi, but knew that such violence was more fitting of the tales they'd heard of the Sith, which made them avoid looking straight at him for fear of their safety.
Sitting back down, Ben stopped using his Intimidation and began speaking to the Bartender. "Who do I talk to about getting some bounties?"
Keeping his composure as best he could, the bartender gave an answer. "Assuming your looking for work, all you have to do is take your CommsLink over to that console and make your claim. There's almost always something for everyone, but the good bounties tend to get picked up as soon as they come in, so you might have to wait if you want something more to you liking."
Nodding, Ben stood up and put some more credits on the counter. "Thank you for the information." He then made his way over to the console and did as he was told, scrolling through and picking out four that he deemed appropriate for his purposes.
With his objective complete, Ben left the cantina and made his way back to his ship. Meanwhile, the cantina erupted into a bunch of mumbling and some of them got straight on their comms to relay the info about the knew guy in the game.
But, none of those guys are important anymore, as Ben had what he was looking for and got himself a bit of reputation as well.
So, upon returning to the ship, he called the girls from their room and they came running through with smiles. "Welcome back Master!" They sonorously said as they happily greeted him.
After a year of good treatment, food and training, they were no longer as weak or malnourished as they were before, and so had transformed into adorable bundles of joy before Ben realised.
Having removed his gear, Ben gave them a bright smile and said. "Hey girls, I've got something to tell you." Waiting for the girls to come to a stop, he press a button on the holo-table and presented the different contracts that were available. "You've all come a long way, so I want to see just how far you've come."
The girls quickly became serious, or as serious as the could appear with their tiny adorable faces, but anyways, they began reading the details of the bounties with care.
While they were reading, Ben told them. "I want each of you to take turns being in charge of apprehending three of these outlaws. You are to listen to the one in charge throughout the mission, but you must help each other at all times. Understood?"
The three of them nodded and had a bubbling excitement in their stomachs at the chance to prove themselves. But, Vette had to point out the obvious extra and said. "What about the fourth one Master?"
Turning and pressing some buttons, brought up a specific profile of the selection. On it showed a list of crime and reasons the gentleman was wanted, some of which too horrid to mention.
Seeing the list of bad deeds in front of them, the girls were horrified, but said nothing and waited for Ben to speak.
"This one is mine, but it's just for my own purposes, so I'll be doing it some other time." Ben informed them before elaborating further. "Your first target isn't far, so we will be there soon. Decide who's in charge first and you can start planning on the way."
"Yes, Master!" The three girls said in unison with earnest expressions, clearly showing that they were ready whenever their Master gave the command.
Ben chuckled lightly and gently stroked their heads, making them hum in happiness. He of course made sure to treat them all equally and gave each of them his attention, before stopping and saying with a somewhat vicious grin. "Well, it's time for another hunt!"
...
A hop, skip and a jump all the way down to Nal Hutta, homeworld of the Hutt race and one of the many cesspools of the Galaxy.
Ben was walking through the open street and observing his students as they stalked their target from the top of surrounding buildings.
Vette was taking charge and decided that a stealth approach was their best bet, fortunately it was night and they had the cover of darkness on their side. As three young Twi'lek girls, they were quite eye catching after all.
They were following their target, an insect humanoid that beared a resemblance to a fly, watching him stumble his way home from a cantina and as he entered an ally, Vette gave a signal and the three of them jumped the target, knock him out with triple axe kick to the head.
'Quick and efficient.' Ben praised them in his mind, of course giving the majority to Vette as the leader. 'Time to see how Thalia does.'
With a pleased smile, he started walking over to the three of them.
---
After Vette's target was taken in, it was Thalia turn and she had no intentions of going easy on them.
Each of them is equipped with a modified Vibroblade and Blaster, having been taught how to use both with proficiency. Maila however, carried two Blasters as she preferred to use ranged attacks more, supporting her sisters from behind.
It took no time at all for Thalia to find her prey, assisted by the Force, she tracked him down like he was sending out a beacon and stormed his hideout.
When Thalia arrived, she broke the door down with the Force and sent shrapnel shooting into the bodies of two henchmen that were standing guard. Before any of the others inside had the chance to understand, she enhanced her speed with the Force and rushed in with her Vibroblade and slashed through the stomachs of another three goons.
Now that they'd seen a little girl cut down their pals, the others inside got the Blasters and were about to shoot her.
Thalia had nothing to worry about however, as the goons were suddenly distracted by a blue blur flying over them, which turned out to be another little girl, and just as she hit the wall, she used it to jump off and rebound at them.
This was Vette, who was as quick as possible to cut off the head of another goon, making sure to kill him in as painless a way as she could. It was Thalia's plan to kill them all after all and they were to do as she instructed, but that didn't mean she had to be cruel.
All of a sudden, combined with Vette's distracting display, some of them were blindsided by Maila, who had both her blasters out and firing.
By this point, Thalia had turned to the remaining few and raised her hand with a focused expression, concentrating the Force to her fingers and blasting them with lightning to finish the job quickly, and return to her wonderful Master.
All that was left was for Thalia retrieve her targets head, which she had no problem doing, as she simply walked over to the body and cut it off, causing blood to spray all over her. Not that she really cared. Meanwhile, Maila stuck her tongue out with a look of disgust and Vette was shaking her head in exasperation.
Both Vette and Maila loved their sister and Master, but they found it disturbing and weren't fond of their violent tendencies. But, no matter how they felt about killing, they loved their family and wouldn't be opposed to taking out anyone that harmed them.
This was what Ben had trained them for after all, to survive. He had them hunt and kill to eat, so they were used to it to a degree, but it was primarily animals. They know that, at some point, they might have to kill to survive and were prepare, but that didn't mean they liked it..
Truthfully, this was because Ben had primarily tried to maintain their innocence. He had taught them techniques from the Light and Dark side, but they had taken more to the Light side than their sister and Ben didn't have a problem with that, so he didn't push them to learn the more dangerous stuff.
However, no matter what Thalia or their beloved Master did, they would never turn their backs on them, their only family.
So, with the mission complete, they made their exit and returned home, where Ben was waiting with pride and a warm meal.
---
Now that her sisters had taken care of their targets, it was Maila's turn to take the lead. She was incredibly nervous, stemming from her belief that she wasn't as good as her sister at this kind of thing.
If her task was to fix or even build a ship, then she would have absolutely confidence, because thinking otherwise would mean all her personal time with her Master was for nothing and that was unacceptable to her.
She had been sitting in her room for a good hour, wracking her tiny head on how to succeed, but never felt they were any good.
Ben and her sisters could see how nervous she is, they knew that she had what it took and hated that she had so little confidence in herself. They were already at the destination of the target and knew that the longer she took, the more unsure of herself she became.
Wanting to give her a confidence boost, Ben went to give her some encouragement. Entering the girls' room, he saw her frantically scribbling her ideas on a datapad and sighed, before going and stroking her head. "If you keep thinking so hard, you're not gonna get anywhere."
Shaken from her thoughts, Maila looked up at Ben with a grumpy pout. "But Master, what if something goes wrong and I fail?"
"Then you fail. There's no shame in that." He said as he sat down and wrapped his other arm around her. "If something goes wrong, then you still have your sisters to help you. Just like you will help them if they need you. You just need to believe in yourself and follow your training, and nothing will stand in your way." His tone was gentle as he soothingly stroked her Lekku and she nuzzled into him.
"Are you sure I can do it Master?" She said with doubt, as she leaned on Ben. "I'm not as strong as Big Sis Vette and Thalia, I don't like fighting either and get scared when I have to..." Lifting her head, she looked into Ben's eyes. "I don't think I can do it..."
Ben stared down at her while smiling gently. "There is nothing wrong with fear. Remember? If you are scared, then you only need to overcome what scares you, and if you can't do it yourself, then you always have your family to help you through it. If you feel like you are weak, then train and become strong. If you feel like your not good enough, then you need only practice until you are. No one is perfect after all."
"No way!" Hearing him, she suddenly rejected his words while shaking her head. "You are!" She stated with complete assurance. "Master can do everything and you aren't scared of anything, you are the greatest!"
Wryly smiling at her, it was Ben's turn to shake his head. "I'm only really good at fighting and killing, I'm not great at all. Everything else I'm good at, is simply because I've put effort into improving and even then, I have used all kinds of tricks to get to where I am." He told her, alluding to the fact that his system had helped him with most things.
In fact, ever since he'd arrived in this universe, he had to rely on the system just to live comfortably, otherwise he'd never have left Zygerria. He wouldn't even be there without the system, not to mention his ability to use the Force.
"Plus..." He drawled out, as he stared at empty space in thought about everyone he cared about, which amounted to a grand number of 12. "I do fear something. I fear losing the ones I love. Everyday I wake up and I worry about how your lives will be when I'm gone. Will you be safe? Will you be happy?" A sadness flashed across his face for a moment, before he then smiled at Maila again. "But! I believe in the three of you and know that, no matter what, you can do anything that you put your minds to."
Maila lowered her head and buried her face into his chest while tightly hugging him. "Why do you have leave us anyways...?" She asked with obvious sadness.
Freezing up for a moment, Ben sighed and told her. "That's a difficult question to answer... The place I'm from is extremely far away and I was pulled from the people I love there. You and your sisters are incredibly important to me as well, but when the time comes, even if I want to I cannot stay. That's why I swore that I'll give you the best lives I can and leave you with even greater futures."
Tightening her hug, as if she wants to keep him from ever leaving, Maila asked him. "Can't we come with you?"
"I'm sorry Maila, but I don't know... It's beyond my control." He solemnly answered, before doing a 180 and smiled dazzlingly as he made her look at him. "That's why we have to cherish the time we have. I want to see you girls grow up into the great people I know you can be and stand at the peak. So if you ever doubt yourself, I want you to know I will alway believe in you. Even if the universe is against you, I will alway be on your side. You just got to do your best to live your life."
Staring at him with her lower lip trembling and tears in her eyes, she sniffled and said. "But... What if my best isn't good enough?..."
With an unfaltering smile, Ben said one simple sentence. "It's good enough for me." Then, unexpectedly, he kissed the top of her head. "And nothing will ever change that."
Putting her hand up to where he kissed her, Maila stared at Ben dazedly, her face slowly becoming a darker shade as a beautiful smile formed on her face.
Seeing her little face covered in happiness, Ben felt that he was successful. There was a slight hiccup, but if in the end she is happy, then that's a job well done in his books. "If you don't want to, I won't force you to take charge, but I would like for you to try. It's your choice."
Maila nodded while still in a daze, still feeling inexplicable happiness that her beloved Master gave her such affection. But, realising that she should give an answer, she shook her head a bit. "I'll do it. If Master believes in me, then I believe in Master. I won't fail you ever." With that declaration, she jumped up and ran off to get ready.
Ben watched her run off with renewed determination and smiled fondly. He was proud of his little treasures that work so hard even when they don't have to, reminding him of the rest of his family. With a melancholic sigh, a photograph of himself holding Gwen, Keira and Charmcaster appeared in his hand.
'There hasn't been a day go by that I haven't missed you all. Despite how short of a time we were actually together, you really did leave a mark on me...' He thought to himself with some sadness and a self-deprecating chuckle. "8 more years and I'll get to see you all again. Just 8 more years..."
...
In the desolate wasteland of ice on the planet Pagodon, a world of water and ice that only outlaws would go to hide out on.
Maila and her sisters had no trouble finding their mark, only needing to go to a nearby outpost that acted more as a cantina. Because Ben had something to do, they were taking care of the mission alone, as far as they know.
The three of them were covered with dark cloaks to hide their appearance and their short statures gave little indication to their age. So, with Maila leading them, they entered inside and went to sit down.
They sat there in silence, but were actually communicating through their minds.
'Well, they are right there. What do you want to do Maila?' Vette asked encouragingly, wanting to support her little sister in her mission.
'Can't we just get him now?' Thalia asked, wanting to go the direct route, but still waiting for her adorable sister to give the command.
As for Maila, she shook her head while openly thinking. 'No... The information said that the target was the boss of a crew, so we are more than likely surrounded.'
'I think we can take them, but okay...' Thalia responded disappointed that she wouldn't get to beat the snot out of some no good nobodies. 'What do you want to do then sis?'
'Hmm...' Delving into her thoughts, the little orange Twi'lek started making multiple plans that could work, once again over thinking her strategy. Fortunately, after Ben's talk, she was able to calm herself and take a deep breath. 'First, let's start meditating.'
Without questioning her, the other two nodded and they all closed their eyes. As they started to meditate, the Force was quickly stirred to action, though unnoticed by the none sensitive.
Their bond allowed them to do many things, as they had learned over the last year, each of them could use the same abilities, but they differed with their individuality. One such ability was being able to coax others to sleep.
As the three meditated, Maila started to release a gentle hum that gradually began to resonate around the room like a melody. Her humming was relaxing and therapeutic in nature, lulling the surrounding people into a sense of comfort and safety.
One by one, everyone fell asleep and when the final person was out, her melody soon came to an end. This was something that Ben called a 'Force Aria'.
When 'sung' by Maila, the target will fall into a peaceful slumber and dream of their happiest memory, even healing them if she wishes.
If Vette were to take the lead, things are more neutral and their mind becomes blank, which allows her to leave suggestions and get the target to be compliant to demands. Like a low level hypnosis.
As for Thalia, she was the inverse of Maila, forcing her prey to sleep and plaguing them with nightmares so ferocious their minds could break at a moment.
It was a simple ability, but quite effective. The girls rarely got the chance to use such a skill, and this was actually the first time any of them had used it on something other than wild beasts, but it was a marvellous success.
The girls opened their eyes and looked around, Maila with a sense of accomplishment and her sisters with pride.
Thalia hopped up off her seat and hugged Maila lovingly. "Great job Maila! We knew you could do it!"
They were quickly joined by Vette as she said. "She's right. You did all this without even fighting, Master is going to be so happy."
"Hehe!" Happily giggling, Maila returned the hug and said. "Thanks. Now we have to go home."
"Right!" Thalia said, suddenly turning serious as she released her sister before going over to the target and grabbing his leg to start dragging him. "Let's go!"
"Don't drag him by his leg, he'll wake up!" Vette shouted as she ran after her rough sister.
Maila giggled at her sisters and happily skipped after them, leaving behind a room full of sleeping vagabonds.
...
So, the trio and their captive made their way back to the ship, then threw the bounty into a temporary holding cell while tightly bound.
They were about to start searching around for Ben, but before they got the chance, they heard a disruption outside and ran to check it out with their weapons ready. Only, when they got outside, they bore witness to their half naked Master busting out of a patch of ice.
Seeing his muscular and defined body, even though they had little understanding towards what goes on between Men and Women, their hearts beat faster and their faces flushed, almost too focused on his sculped figure glistening with crystal like drops of water to even notice the giant creature being dragged out behind him.
Ben noticed the girls and was happy to see them safe. But, before he could go over and leave this wasteland with the adorable trio, he had to deal with his prize. So, turning to the beast called a Ravinak that was essentially a super walrus, he scanned it with the Omnitrix and then stored it in his inventory for later consumption.
When he turned back to the girls, he found them staring at him with enamoured gazes. Shaking his head with a chuckle, he repelled any remaining water off his body and then equipped his armour as he made his way over.
Using the Force, Ben pulled them in and gave them a big hug. "I'm glad that you three are safe." He said with a joyful smile as he turned to Maila. "And I'm extremely proud of you Maila. I knew you could do it, you just needed to trust yourself more."
The girls happily returned the hug, embracing the feeling of warmth that came even on this planet of ice. This was their Master, their family and source happiness in a Galaxy of cruelty.
Releasing the girls, Ben patted their head and said. "Now come on, let's get of this ice ball." He chuckled and watched as they nodded in agreement before running back inside the ship to escape the cold.
Quickly joining them inside, he got to the cockpit and they escaped back into the stars...
[Status -
Name - Ben
Lv - 69 (123,060/245,000)
Title - Wielder of the Omnitrix, Anti-Hero, Idol Slayer
State - Healthy MP - 57,700
STR - 3633
END - 3734
AGI - 3633
CHA - 3635
INT - 308
LUK - 777
AP - 0 SP - 1,715,200
Primary Skills: CQC Lv-5, Marksmanship Lv-5, Intimidation Lv-5, Danger Sense Lv-4, Sneak Lv-4, Mana Manipulation Lv-3
Secondary Skills: Drawing Lv-3, Math Lv-4, Science Lv-4, Writing/Literacy Lv-4, Maneuvering Lv-5, Driving Lv-4, Engineering Lv-5, Cooking Lv-4, Pain Tolerance Lv-9, Bioengineering Lv-5, Programming Lv-5, Torture Lv-2, Acting Lv-4, Enchanting Lv-3
Unique Skill: Wrath, Love and Lust, Gluttony, Sloth, Complete Language Comprehension, Eidetic Memory, Analyse, Night Vision, The Force]
(0 Recoveries Stored)
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