Jedi Insurgency 134

The submersible slipped beneath the rippling surface of Lake Paonga, its lights cutting narrow beams through the emerald gloom. Omega pressed her face close to the viewport, breath fogging the window as she watched bubbles trail past like tiny stars. A school of fish scattered, and shark-like predators came swooping in. 

“Whoa, it’s so alive down here.” Omega said in awe. 

Hunter gave a faint smile from the pilot’s seat, glancing back at her enthusiasm. “Look out the viewport, but don’t touch anything, there's an emergency release valve, and we wouldn't want to flood, now, would we?” 

Omega nodded, barely hearing him. Her focus was captured by the dancing fronds of water plants swaying in a slow, hypnotic rhythm. Shoals of translucent fish flashed silver-blue as they darted past, and somewhere in the distance, a massive shape opened an eye, and glanced at them from a nearby underwater cliff. 

Wrecker leaned forward beside her, squinting. “Think that one could eat our sub?”

“None of that talk now.” Hunter muttered, and he gently turned the sub away. 

Omega’s sudden and delighted laugh had Hunter twitch, his hand went down to his holster, and he only paused in his tracks when he realized how stupid he must've looked reaching for a gun whilst a sea monster was outside. 

“What is it?” Hunter asked, trying not to scowl at his little sister's joy. 

“It’s beautiful! Look how the light ripples off its skin!”

The creature’s scales shimmered like liquid glass before disappearing into the dark depths. Omega pressed her palm to the viewport. She could feel it: the slow, steady pulse of the water all around the creature, the gentle thrum of life. It coursed through her fingers, into her chest, until her own heartbeat matched its flow.

She closed her eyes for a moment, and listened with childish curiosity. Beneath the hum of the submersible’s engines, there was something else. It was a whisper of something deep and ancient, of the movement of waves long before her time. It reminded her of her birthplace, of home. Of Kamino.

When she opened her eyes again, the faint outline of Otoh Gunga appeared in the distance. Although it was so far away, she could barely see it, she could see its light. The underwater city was like a constellation of glowing orbs suspended in the water. The sight drew an awed gasp from her lips.

“It’s like the stars fell into the lake.” Omega murmured.

Hunter and Wrecker exchanged a small glance, one of those silent acknowledgments that came from long years of brotherhood. To them, it was just another mission. But for Omega, this was like a treat. 

Glancing back at Crosshair-who was lurking in the back with his arms crossed-Hunter winked. The bald sniper rolled his eyes, yet subtly inclined his head, and reached forward to ruffle Omega's hair. 

As they descended toward the glowing domes, she rested her hand against the glass again, feeling the water’s heartbeat welcome her home.

Omega twisted in her seat, her golden hair flicked left and right as she rapidly turned her head. “Did you see that one?” She pointed excitedly out the viewport, where a school of fish shimmered in perfect formation, their bodies striped in shifting colors of turquoise and violet. “They’re changing colors! It’s like they’re playing!”

From across the cramped cabin, Jax leaned slightly forward, resting his chin on a gloved hand. His pale features were calm, almost distant, but there was the faintest hint of amusement in his ice-blue eyes. “They’re called chameleonfish. They mirror the light around them to hide from predators.” Jax spoke barely above a whisper. 

Omega turned to him, grinning. “That’s so clever! You know all the names, don’t you?”

“Most of them. Our education at the Temple was…intense.” Jax added, his gaze became wistful as he became lost in thought, the ghost of a smile played across his face. 

Beside him, Triss sat rigid and silent, her white hair catching the sub’s amber lights. She’d been quiet most of the dive, with her hands folded neatly in her lap clutching the stuffed rabbit Wrecker & Omega had won for her. The water’s reflection rippled over her pale face, making her look almost ghostly. But now, Omega’s enthusiasm seemed to pull at her, tugging her out from behind the walls she’d built.

“You could… play a game.” Triss said softly, eyes fixed on the viewport rather than on Omega or Jax. “Like ‘I Spy.’ It passes the time.”

Omega gasped, delighted. “Yes! That’s perfect!” She leaned toward Triss, eyes shining. “You start!”

Triss hesitated, visibly second-guessing her suggestion. “I spy with my little eye…” She paused, searching the water outside. A moment later, a massive jelly-like creature floated past, glowing faintly pink with each slow pulse. “…something that’s soft and bright.”

“Oh! The big glowing jelly!” Omega said immediately, bouncing slightly in her seat.

“Technically, that’s a glowshroud.” Jax murmured, folding his arms. “They’re harmless. Mostly.”

Triss smirked faintly at that. It was barely there for a second, but the emotion behind it was real. Omega noticed, and grinned at her. 

“My turn!” Omega said. “I spy something long and twisty!”

They all peered into the shifting light. For a moment, there was only drifting seaweed and the occasional dart of a fish tail. Then, from the shadows, a long eel-like shape uncoiled, luminous fins rippling as it glided by.

“Eel!” Wrecker blurted from the cockpit, making everyone jump. “Ha! Beat you all!”

Omega giggled. “You can’t spy from the pilot seat!”

Hunter shook his head with a chuckle, and elbowed Wrecker in the side goodnaturedly. 

Triss leaned a little closer to the viewport, watching the eel disappear. “It’s strange.” She said quietly. “Down here, everything seems so peaceful. Like the darkness isn’t something to fear…it’s just part of it all.”

“That’s because it is. The Force moves through the shadows, too. It’s not light or dark, it just is.” Jax said toward her with a thoughtful expression on his face. 

He then turned to his Master for confirmation, however, the masked Jedi Master seemed to be dosing off, fast asleep. Jax took a long look at Master Corvus, and smiled, comforted that he trusted them with his safety. Rummaging around the cabin, he produced a blanket, and draped it around him. 

Triss nodded, though her eyes betrayed the quiet struggle behind them. She wanted to believe that. Omega could sense it, that quiet fear that never quite left Triss’s aura. She wanted to see her friend smile, to open up to the world. She knew that Triss had been hurt somehow, but her experience with her brothers told her that the best way to solve problems was to wrestle! 

Glancing around the sub, she knew Hunter would be royally pissed if she jumped Triss, so she decided to hold off for now. 

Omega tilted her head, smiling softly. “You’re both kinda like the lake now that I think about it. Still on the surface, but full of things going on underneath.”

That earned a genuine laugh from Jax; it was short, somewhat surprised, but filled with warmth. Triss glanced at Jax before looking away quickly, her cheeks coloring a rosy red. 

“It’s like the whole lake’s alive, I can feel so much.” Omega spoke, seemingly ignorant to her friends’ reactions. 

Jax met her gaze, sensing what she felt but knowing better than to explain it. “Every place, every planet is different, yet also interlinked. The way Master described it, is that the entire galaxy is surrounded by, and bound by the Force.” 

Omega smiled at that, eyes wide with wonder. The water outside pulsed once more, it was steady, patient, and full of mystery.

However, the joys of their journey took a turn as they descended ever deeper. The sun was non-existent at this level, and the friendly fish were less in number. 

Shadows lengthened, and soon, only the dim lights emitted from the sub were easily seen. Otoh Gunga was still on the horizon, and even though it was physically closer, at this depth, it seemed infinitely far away. 

Omega hugged her arms around herself, and shivered. “It’s colder down here.” She whispered, her breath misting the viewport. The glass trembled faintly beneath her fingertips. Beyond it, the water seemed…thicker. Heavier. The energy she had felt before-the soft rhythm of the lake’s pulse-now throbbed with something darker.

The Dark Side of the Force coiled in the deep trenches, whispering from the unseen depths. It pressed against her skin like unseen fingers.

Jax, seated across from her, looked up, and stared into the dark. A psychic echo of some ancient beast reverberated from his form, pushing the metaphorical darkness back. 

“So much anger, and sadness. I don't understand.” Omega's lip quivered as all sorts of feelings surged from the deep. 

Before Jax could answer, a thunderous groan rolled through the water. The sub shuddered violently. Through the viewport, Omega glimpsed two vast silhouettes moving in the gloom. They were so massive they made the sub look like a toy in a bathtub. One had the jagged outline of a serpent, the other the slow, sinuous bulk of a leviathan with bioluminescent scars glowing along its flank.

“Engines can’t take much more of this current!” Wrecker exclaimed, whilst flipping through a set of switches. 

The water around them churned as the creatures’ titanic struggle sent shockwaves through the deep. The lights flickered, and Omega gripped her seat, heart racing. Triss’s breathing quickened; she was staring into the blackness, her eyes wide, and her pupils dilated.

“I can sense them.” Triss whispered, her voice trembling. “So much rage, so much hunger…”

“Triss.” Jax said sharply, sensing the tremor in her heart. “Don’t reach for it. Reel yourself back in.”

But she couldn’t help it. The darkness was thick and called to her, like a tide tugging at her soul. Her fingers dug into her knees, nails biting through the fabric. Power began to rise around her, a faint vibration of static filled the air, and electricity unknowingly arced between her fingers. 

“Triss.” Jax said again, firmer this time, standing to place a steadying hand on her shoulder. “Look at me.”

She didn’t move at first, eyes fixed on the unseen shapes outside. Then his calm presence-radiant and vast-washed over her. Omega could feel it too: a brilliance like sunlight filtering through deep water. Jax’s connection to the Force wasn’t forceful or loud. It was steady, calm, confident. It carried peace that expanded outward, pushing back the weight of the dark.

The sub’s trembling began to ease. Outside, the two leviathans circled once, then, almost impossibly, drifted apart. Their movements slowed as if they had been soothed. The roar of the engines steadied, and Hunter sighed in relief. 

Triss exhaled shakily. The wild look in her eyes softened, and she blinked, looking up at Jax, finding it difficult to look away from his icy blue eyes. 

“Thank you.” She murmured.

Jax nodded, his hand still resting lightly on her shoulder. “You did that yourself. You chose to stop. You are the one who is in control.”

Omega looked between them, eyes shining with awe. “You calmed the whole lake.” She whispered to Jax.

He offered a small, modest smile, and ruffled her hair. “Not the whole lake, just a couple of simple minded creatures. You will too, one day, little one.” 

“Oi, ai'm not ittle!” Omega-embarrassed-stuck out her tongue, and ran to the cockpit to sit on Hunter's lap. 

“Yes, yes, we're here, Otoh Gunga is just ahead.” Hunter tiredly waved his hand at the excitable girl. 

He didn't realize what was happening until the human-shaped, blonde missile drove the air from his lungs. 

“Oof!” 

“Bahaha.” Wrecker laughed. 

“She never misses.” Crosshair mocked. 

Hunter tugged her in for a hug, and shook his head. 

“I'm not little, am I, Hunta?” Omega looked up at the veteran clone commando with big, watery eyes. 

“Uhhh. Look!” Hunter scratched the back of his head, then pointed out the viewport to save himself from a crying kid. 

The darkness lifted gradually, replaced by faint glimmers of gold and azure light. The submersible crested a ridge of coral and sand, and suddenly the scene exploded with brilliance. 

Otoh Gunga hung suspended in the water like a dream. Spheres of shimmering energy formed immense domes connected by glowing tendrils and tunnels, each one alive with the soft movement of Gungans swimming between them. Light refracted through the barrier fields, painting the lake in molten hues of amber, sapphire, and green. 

Omega pressed her palms against the viewport, eyes wide in wordless wonder.

“Wow.” 

And for a moment, the shadows of the deep seemed to fade, replaced by a city that pulsed with life, laughter, and the unbroken rhythm of the living Force.

~~~~~~

AN: Sorry to my fellow action junkies for the campy chapter, just my attempt at some character development. Anyway, I don't think we'll be on Naboo for more than one or two more chapters.