Chapter 146: Mortis (pt.1)
Bell, Anakin, and Yoda were aboard their ship, making their way through hyperspace after a successful mission. Anakin sat at the controls, bantering with Bell while Yoda meditated in the back.
"Master, how can someone even sense every side of the Force? It's like trying to understand the entire galaxy at once," Anakin mused, glancing at Bell.
Bell chuckled. "The Force isn't something to understand, Ani. It's something you feel, something you live with. You're already halfway there."
Before Anakin could reply, a sudden, overwhelming pull interrupted their conversation. The ship groaned as it was dragged out of hyperspace, the navicomputer blaring warnings.
"What's happening?!" Anakin shouted, wrestling with the controls.
Yoda opened his eyes, his voice calm despite the turbulence. "Not the ship, it is. The Force, pulling us, hmm."
Bell's six eyes narrowed, sensing the strange, almost magnetic pull in the Force. "Brace yourselves. We're going wherever it wants us."
The ship hurtled toward a massive, monolithic structure that appeared out of nowhere. With no time to react, they were swallowed into its maw.
The ship landed softly in an environment that defied description. The air was thick with the Force, more potent than Bell had ever felt. The landscape shifted as if alive: lush green fields stretched into mountains that floated in the sky, and faint stars shimmered in the distance, though no sun was visible.
Bell stepped out first, his lightsaber in hand. "This place… it's like the Force is alive here."
Anakin followed, his eyes wide with awe. "I feel it too. It's like the light and dark are... fighting each other."
"Mortis, this is," Yoda said, his tone grave. "A realm of the Force. Strange and dangerous, it can be."
Before they could process his words, two figures appeared from the mist. One was radiant, her form glowing with a greenish light and wings unfurled like a celestial being. The other was a dark, grotesque creature, his aura suffocating with the stench of the Dark Side.
Anakin instinctively ignited his lightsaber. "What are they?"
The radiant figure spoke first, her voice melodic. "I am the Daughter, the embodiment of the Light Side of the Force."
The dark creature snarled, his voice a guttural growl. "And I am the Son, the Dark Side incarnate. Mortis is our home, and you are intruders."
The Jedi ignited their lightsabers, sensing the danger emanating from the beings. Bell stepped forward, his blue eyes glowing with focus.
"We're not here to fight," Bell said. "But if you push us, we won't back down."
The Son laughed mockingly, his form shifting into a monstrous shape. "Your toys are meaningless here."
The Daughter raised a hand, and the sabers dimmed, their energy seemingly absorbed into her aura. "Mortals cannot hope to challenge us."
Bell frowned, his confidence unshaken. "We'll see about that."
He unleashed a massive wave of Force energy, but it was deflected effortlessly. The Son countered, blasting Bell back with a surge of darkness. Anakin and Yoda rushed to his side, their own Force abilities barely holding the beings at bay.
"They're not just powerful," Bell muttered, rising to his feet. "They're something else entirely."
Realizing brute strength wouldn't work, Bell changed his approach. He focused inward, letting the Force flow through him without restraint. The realm seemed to react, amplifying his presence until his aura matched the scale of the ones before him.
The Daughter and Son paused, intrigued. The Force around Bell surged, and with a gesture, he unleashed a burst of energy that forced them into their humanoid forms.
The Daughter, now a serene woman of striking beauty, smiled warmly. "Impressive. You have shown wisdom, not just strength."
The Son, a brooding man with piercing eyes, glared at Bell. "You caught us off guard, nothing more."
Yoda stepped forward, his voice calm. "Why here, are we? Lured to Mortis, for what purpose?"
The Daughter gestured toward the horizon. "Our Father awaits. He will explain everything."
Guided by the Daughter and the Son, the group reached a grand citadel. Inside, an aged man sat upon a throne, his presence radiating balance.
"I am the Father," he said, his voice deep and commanding. "You are here because the Force has chosen you."
The Father's eyes settled on Anakin. "The Chosen One, destined to bring balance to the Force."
Anakin shifted uncomfortably. "I've heard that before."
The Father turned to Bell, his expression curious. "But you… you are an anomaly. You are beyond the Force, yet deeply tied to it."
Bell nodded. "I've felt things I can't explain. Dimensions of the Force that go beyond what the Jedi teach."
The Father sighed. "Mortis is a place of convergence, where the Light and Dark sides meet. My children are its manifestations, and I keep them in balance. But my time is ending, and the balance is at risk."
Yoda bowed slightly. "Help, we will. But understand, we must."
The Father's gaze turned serious. "Your journey here is not by chance. You must confront the truth of who you are and what you will become."
As the Father spoke, the realm shifted again, the ground trembling beneath their feet.
"The balance must be maintained," the Daughter said, her voice urgent.
"And tested," the Son added with a wicked grin.
Bell and Anakin exchanged a glance, their resolve unshaken.
"Whatever this place throws at us," Bell said, his voice firm, "we'll face it together."
Yoda nodded, his eyes narrowing. "Strong, the Force is here. But stronger, we must be."
And so, the trio prepared themselves for the challenges ahead, their bond tested in a realm where the very fabric of the Force would push them to their limits.