Saga - PT No Rest for the Weary (one-shot; Eeth Koth)

Title: No Rest for the Weary
Author: Kadar Ordo
Timeframe: 22-14 BBY (starts during Episode II, ends five years after Episode III)
Characters: Eeth Koth
Genre: Character exploration, tragedy
Summary: As war breaks out across the galaxy, Eeth Koth comes to question his place in the Jedi Order as his mind becomes plagued with nightmares, foreshadowing what lies ahead....

NO REST FOR THE WEARY​

Geonosis, 22 BBY

The smell of smoke choked the air. The presence of smoke obfuscated his vision. Eeth Koth had no idea where he was. He wasn’t even sure if he was still alive.

His whole body felt numb, but his connection to the Force had not dulled. He could sense that someone was moving him, pulling him out of the wreckage he had found himself pinned under. Focusing himself, Koth withdrew into his mind to retrace the steps he had taken to bring himself to this moment. He remembered Master Windu briefing him and two hundred other Jedi on their mission to rescue Obi-Wan Kenobi on the planet Geonosis. He remembered battling against a legion of battle droids and Geonosians, watching as his fellow Knights were gunned down and slain. He remember boarding a gunship provided as part of reinforcements led by Yoda himself. He remembered the gunship being shot down by enemy fire and sent plummeting towards the ground. And then… darkness.

He opened his mouth to take in a breath and instantly let out a ragged cough. He then felt a hand gently press down on his chest as he was laid down on the ground.

“Easy, Master Koth,” he heard a familiar voice speak calmly. “Let the Force give you strength.”

Rubbing soot out of his eyes, Koth managed to open them wide enough to see his surroundings. He was still on Geonosis, surrounded by searing sand and towering rock formations. In front of him laid the burning wreckage of the gunship he had boarded with Masters Sora Bulq and Tarados Gon. Bulq himself stood beside Koth, using the Force to heal his injuries, but there was no sign of Gon. Koth closed his eyes to shut out the gruesome sight, instead listening to the sounds of battle in the distance.

“Where are the others?” he croaked, his voice weak.

“Preoccupied, I’d imagine,” Bulq replied. “I’ve sent out a distress call. Hopefully someone will pick it up and find us, before the Separatists come back to finish the job.”

Koth shook his head. He was still struggling to grasp the scope of this whole situation. When he and the rest of the Jedi Council had learned of the Sith’s return ten years ago, he could not have even begun to imagine what it would mean for the galaxy. He had, of course, heard tales of the Sith and knew about the galaxy-spanning conflicts between the Jedi and the Sith that had lasted for thousands of years. But never once had he thought that the Sith would ever return, let alone in his lifetime. And now, the galaxy was on the verge of a conflict the likes of which it had not seen in nearly a millennium. Were the Jedi prepared to defend the galaxy from such a conflict? That was a question that Koth didn’t think even Master Yoda had the answer to.

Of course, he didn’t know for a fact that the Sith were behind this. But ever since Master Qui-Gon’s report and subsequent death, Koth had felt the growing darkness. This conflict only exacerbated those feelings.

The nightmares are going to get worse, he dreaded.

As he began to use what little energy he had to heal himself, Koth spotted another one of the clone gunships fly over to his and Master Bulq’s position. As it landed, its side doors opened up and two of the white-armored clone soldiers disembarked, each one carrying a medpac. Accompanying the clones was a grizzled human male, the stern features of whom Koth instantly recognized as those of Master Tholme.

“Master Bulq, Master Koth,” Tholme said to them in acknowledgment. “I am glad to see you are both alive and well.”

“Yes, although Master Gon was not as fortunate,” Bulq said, nodding to the wreckage of their gunship.

Tholme bowed his head solemnly. “He is one with the Force now.” Changing the subject, he then said, “The Separatists are in a full retreat, and Count Dooku has escaped. We are picking up as many survivors as we can before taking further action.”

As one of the clone troopers applied the medpac to his wounds, Koth looked up and narrowed his eyes at Tholme, feeling that something was amiss here. “Forgive me, Master Tholme, but I do not believe I saw you at the briefing. I thought you were staying at the Temple.”

Tholme acknowledged his comment with a stiff nod. “Yes. And as far as anyone else is concerned, I am still there. My network has been tracking Count Dooku’s movements for some time now, and while Geonosis may have caught us off guard, we have a reasonable guess as to where he might move next.” He turned his attention to Bulq and placed a hand on the Weequay’s shoulder. “Master Bulq, if you are up to the task, I would like you to accompany me.”

“Of course, Master Tholme,” Bulq replied. “I am always ready.”

The other clone trooper with a medpac offered it to the Weequay Jedi. “Sir, your injuries—”

“Are minimal,” Bulq cut him off. “Master Koth needs it more than I do.”

“Let’s get him back to the command center and then we can proceed with our mission,” Tholme said. “Can you stand, Master Koth?”

Koth winced as he slowly got up to his feet. The clone trooper tending to his wounds helped him up and allowed the Zabrak to use him as support. “I… can manage,” he said.

“Good. Let us make haste. Count Dooku awaits.”

With that, Tholme and Bulq swiftly made their way back to the gunship, with Koth staggering behind with the aide of the clone trooper. Perhaps it was because of his wounds, but he found it difficult to summon any amount of energy that would match the zest that his fellow Jedi were demonstrating. A small part of him, ashamedly, wanted to go back to where he was laying and just rest there, waiting for this whole thing to blow over.

But there would be no rest for him today. There would be no rest for him for a very, very long time.

* * *​

The nightmares had gotten worse.

For the past decade or so, ever since Master Qui-Gon had first informed them of the Sith’s return, Koth had began to see a dark figure in his dreams. For the first few nights, it had barely been noticeable, forgotten in the background. Then it had become more prominent, making its presence known yet still too vague to really make out any details.

Now, he could he make the dark figure out clearly, although they never turned to show their face. Their black cape fluttered in the wind as they stood atop a high precipice. Below them, fire consumed a helpless village as the corpses of innocents piled up. Screams rang out from all directions as a woman’s voice called out in panic.

“No, not my baby! Please, don’t take my baby!”

Koth always woke up at that moment, breathing heavily as his body broke out in a cold sweat. He was always able to clear his mind through meditation, but it was a cycle that had become more and more frequent in recent years, even more so with the war well underway. He had yet to inform any of his colleagues about this occurrence, not wanting to worry them and add on to the stress that the war had already caused. He knew it was not right to withhold such secrets… but he was also worried of what they would think of him if they did.

As a member of the Jedi Council, Koth felt that he was expected to represent the ideals and highest standards of the Order. If the others found out that he was suffering from nightmares, would they remove him from the Council for fear of how the nightmares had affected his mental health? Would they worry that the dark side had clouded his mind too much for him to serve as a level-headed and clear-minded judge?

Koth knew that his introduction into the Jedi Order had not been a standard one. Rescued from the slums of Nar Shaddaa, Koth had nearly been deemed too old for training until the Council had ultimately relented after realizing the clarity of his mind. It had been because of that clarity that he had been accepted into the Order, selected as a Padawan by Master Kosul Ayada, and completed his trials, eventually sitting on the Council himself. He had gotten to where he was now because of the clarity of his mind; if that was now in jeopardy, then so was his own status within the Order.

He knew it was against his training to be possessive about anything, but his place in the Jedi Order was all he had. He did not know where he would turn to if he now longer had the Jedi Temple to call home. His mind went back to his former apprentice Sharad Hett, who had voluntarily left the Order in order to be with his family. Of course, tragedy had forced him to go into exile on Tatooine, but before that he had had a family to go to.

Koth did not have a family. As an orphan, he had no recollection of his parents and knew not of any other living relatives, if he even had any. As far as he was concerned, the Jedi were his family. If he didn’t have them, he would have no one.

He hung his head low, ashamed. Jedi were not supposed to be attached, and yet here he was feeling attached to the Order. If he could not function as a person without letting go of the Order, then was he truly a Jedi?

Perhaps he would simply start his life anew. That was what Sharad had done after the tragedy that had afflicted his homeworld; he had found a Tusken woman on Tatooine and bore a son; a son who now served as an honorable Jedi Knight himself. When he had lost his family, Sharad had started a new one. Maybe that was something Koth could do….

A chime sounded at the door to his quarters and he quickly perished the thought. It would have to wait, until after the war was over. Then, if the nightmares persisted, he would decide where his future lied.

After putting on his tunic, Koth walked over to the door and opened it. A clone trooper with green and yellow markings on his white armor stood before him, snapping to attention with a quick salute.

“General Koth, we have just received our new orders,” said Captain Lock. “Command wants us to track down the Separatist raiders that have been attacking hyperspace routes. We have a lead already that will take us to the Arda system.”

Koth nodded. “Very well, Captain. Set a course for Arda.”

He took in a breath as he braced himself for the mission that laid ahead. There would be no rest today.

* * *​

The nightmares had stopped.

At first, Koth had taken this as a good sign. The war had finally taken its toll on him and he had been forced to admit to his colleagues on the Council of the dark visions that had been plaguing him for the past ten years. Worried about his mental state, the other Masters had no choice but to remove him from the Council, yet they had encouraged him to seek meditation and even directed him to remote worlds that were attuned with the Force where he would be able to find some peace of mind, away from the war. But he had no intention of taking their advice. He had already made his decision.

The nightmares had persisted for a short time after he had left the Order. Then, one day, they had miraculously stopped. He had already found himself a new home on a planet well on the edge of the Outer Rim, joined a local clergy, and was on his way of becoming a man of faith. He had found a new calling. A new family. He was finally at peace.

Then, the following day, the Republic fell.

The Jedi had been branded traitors by the Supreme Chancellor, who now called himself Emperor, and everyone Koth had known was now either dead or in hiding. Thirteen years after Master Qui-Gon had delivered his warning, the Sith had finally returned and taken their revenge.

The nightmares had stopped because they had become reality.

No one on his new homeworld knew who he was. When he had left the Order, he had decided to adopt a new name to reflect the new chapter he had started in his life. Eeth Koth was no more; he was now A’Kosul Sharad. His new identity was an homage to both the Jedi who had trained him as well as the Jedi he had helped raise, while also taking inspiration from Tusken naming culture. Just as A’Sharad was named for his father in accordance to Tusken tradition, Eeth named himself after the closest he had ever had to a father figure.

There was no chance the Empire would be able to track him down through this new name. Only those closest to him would be aware of the inspiration behind either name, and by this point they had likely already perished in the Purge.

Five years elapsed. A’Kosul Sharad continued his new life in peace, blissfully unaware of the outside world. The Empire had no presence on this world, its name difficult to find in even the most comprehensive of databanks. He was now a priest in the Order of the Ganthic Enlightenment, and he had been able to find love, just as Sharad had in his exile. Her name was Mira, and while she was a great deal younger than him, their love for each other burned brighter than any sun. Their love, if one wished to be poetic, could ignite the stars.

And, as of today, it had borne new life.

“Congratulations,” the midwife droid intoned. “It’s a girl.”

A’Kosul beamed as he looked down upon the infant cradled in the droid’s arms. She was the most beautiful thing he had laid his eyes upon since he had first met his wife. He instinctively held out his arms but stopped as he glanced over at Mira, laying on her bed as she recovered from the exhausting birth.

“May I… may I hold her, dear?”

Mira smiled at him, tired yet still full of life. “Of course, darling. She’s yours.”

He had only taken a step forward when the door opened, bathing the room in light. A dark shadow eclipsed the sun and a chill passed through like the wind of winter. A long, almost mechanical exhalation of breath preceded the vocalization of a name he had not heard spoken in five years.

“Eeth Koth.”

He felt his body freeze up as he looked upon the dark man standing in the doorway. He recognized the figure to be the one from his nightmares. The one who had haunted him for thirteen years.

“No,” he breathed. “Not here. Not now.”

The dark man stepped forward as A’Kosul raised his hands, conscious of the fact that Mira was watching them both with a confused and terrified expression.

“You don’t need to do this,” he said calmly. “I’m not him anymore. I’m no one. No threat to anyone.”

The dark man took another step towards him.

“I’m just a priest now,” A’Kosul continued. “I bring people peace. Officiate weddings and funerals. That’s all. I have no loyalty to the Jedi; not after they kicked me off the Council.”

As he spoke, he kept his arms to his sides, moving his right hand in a secret gesture that only Mira would be able to detect and understand. The people of this world had a special way of communicating through gestures, something which had helped ensure the Order of the Ganthic Enlightenment’s secrecy for countless years. Clearly it had failed now if the Empire had been able to find them, but perhaps it would buy his wife and child some time. Mira picked up on his signals and quietly ordered the droid to bring her their daughter. The dark man did not pay her any heed, keeping his attention solely on the Zabrak man in front of him.

“Listen,” A’Kosul said evenly. “If you just go… leave us be… I can offer you something. I have codes. Secret contact frequencies. I can tell you how to find other survivors. Just… let us live.”

It was a bluff. He knew deep down in his heart that he could never betray the Jedi he had considered his family for so many years, even after they had failed to help him when he had needed it. He knew this, and the dark man knew as well. The Dark Lord of the Sith simply stared at him through the opaque lenses of his mask as he uttered a single word.

“Funerals.”

A’Kosul narrowed his eyes. Time had run out. It had been fun while it had lasted.

With one hand, he seized the midwife droid with the Force and hurled it at the Dark Lord. With his other hand, he blasted a hole through the brick wall, creating an opening wide enough for Mira to escape through. Keeping his attention focused on the Sith, he ordered her to run and she wasted no time in fleeing through the newly-made escape route, holding their baby tightly in her arms.

Turning to a nearby alcove, he called upon the Force again to summon his lightsaber to his awaiting hand. The Council had allowed him to keep it when he had left the Order, trusting him enough that he would only use it to defend himself rather than to deliver his own form of justice in the name of the Force. He had stayed true to his word, and for the first time in five years he ignited its emerald blade, shining as brightly as it had been when he had first constructed it. The hilt felt comfortable in his hand, having modeled after the lightsaber of his own teacher after Master Ayada had become one with the Force. It had seen much use over the years; perhaps today it would serve him one last time by slaying a Sith Lord.

Adopting the traditional opening stance of the lightsaber form Shii-Cho, holding his blade high and ready, Eeth Koth smiled grimly at the Dark Lord.

“Now… let us pray.”

Leaping high into the air, he let out an emotional cry as he lunged at the Sith Lord. No longer bound by the Jedi Code, he did not hold back. He let the Force carry him, subjecting himself to its raw and utter nature. He was not going to take any chances; not when he finally had something to lose.

There would be no rest today.

Author's notes​

Yet another addition to my collection of stories focusing on the members of the Jedi Council, in anticipation for JJM's upcoming novel The Living Force (not sponsored lol). The end of this story adapts a scene from issue 19 of the 2017 Darth Vader comic series from Marvel Comics. Credit goes to Charles Soule for most of the dialogue in that segment, although I did make some tweaks here and there.

Hope you enjoy!

 

A great story taking you into the mind and actions of Eeth Koth from Geonosis to his escape to his discovery by Darth Vader

 

An interesting story about a curious Jedi!
I've always felt it bizarre how TCW spared Koth because they found him interesting but NEVER used him again.
Of course, the comics led the way, and you took an fascinating turn with the story they started.
Believe it or not I had a similar fic in mind not long ago, I have this crazy idea about divergences between Legends and canon and I thought one such point of difference might be whether Koth or Bulq woke up first after being shot down. It could certainly add some context to his face heel turn in legends! This one felt pseudo One-Canon esq however which is just as fun to me.

But bringing in Tholme was a fun nod to that continuity, and might I assume you are implying the two's dual with Dooku happened on Geonosis during the battle? The count surely must have had a busy day full of duals if that is the case!

Honestly the Jedi Council as a whole needs more stories and I too am counting down the days until the Living Force comes out.

 

Yes, I took a One Canon approach with the story. Tholme and Bulq heading off to chase Dooku leads into an issue from the Republic comic series (back during Legends) where they confronted him on Bakura shortly after Geonosis. That was where Bulq was captured and turned to the dark side. I'm not sure how soon after AOTC occurs, but I decided that Bulq must have been whisked away rather quickly in order to be there for it.

Glad you enjoyed it!

 

There is also the fact that Mace Windu says Sora "Went missing after Geonosis" whereas the comics latter show him and Tholme dueling Dooku at some point between the two events, so this is pulling double duty in reconciling those two issue's in legends.

 

Superbly riveting and vivid opening scenes and heart-wrenching conclusion as, against any reasonable guess as to how, Eeth Koth is discovered in the midst of having a wonderful new life and family.

The title says it all. No rest for the weary indeed.

 

I loved this exploration. I had too little familiarity with Eeth, but I remember things thanks to your connective storytelling.

 

Fantastic! I love how you wove in a contrast to Anakin, in terms of his maturity in dealing with the dark visions and eventual exit from the order + family. I enjoyed the characterization you gave him overall, it was a good read.