INT. BUNKER 13/LEVEL 34/CORRIDOR - SUNSET
Obi-Wan and Siri are led down a corridor through Level 34 of the bunker. In sharp contrast to the captives taken to Level 9, the two Jedi are being led roughly to their destination, their arms wrenched violently behind their backs as they are pushed forward by their Mandalorian keepers.
MANDALORIAN #13: Let's put 'em in 34-63 with Primeday Surprise.
As they come to the door marked "34-63", the Mandalorians stop, dragging their captives to a halt. Opening the door to the dim interior beyond, the Mandalorian Knights then push the two Jedi inside, resealing the door behind the disgraced knights with mocking laughter.
INT. BUNKER 13/LEVEL 34/UNIT 34-63 - SUNSET
OBI-WAN: It was nice of them to show us the way to our quarters.
SIRI: They'll forgive me if I don't leave a tip.
Brushing themselves off and straightening their disheveled clothing, the two Jedi take in the sight of their new quarters; although very spartan, the unit is clean and tidy, with everything kept in its proper place. Walking deeper into the main room, Siri comes to a small round table, upon with sits a datapad already loaded with a datacard.
SIRI: (picks up and activates the datapad) Here's a list of all the various schedules we're supposed to keep. (scans through the first few pages) I don't understand -- are we supposed to follow the same schedule? There's only this one card, and no alternate schedules are listed.
OBI-WAN: Perhaps new recruits all attend the same inauguration ceremony their first day. After that, we each get our own separate schedules.
SIRI: Perhaps. (deactivates the datapad and sets it back on the table) What was that they said about "Primeday Surprise"?
OBI-WAN: Sounded like a name to me -- a roommate.
Siri walks over to the bedroom, checks it, then walks over to the refresher and checks it, too; no one is in either room.
SIRI: Where do you suppose he, she, or it is at?
OBI-WAN: Perhaps she's training.
SIRI: Shame he couldn't be here to greet us.
FLUTEY VOICE (O.S.): Oh, but I am!
Hearing the voice, the two Jedi spin around to look behind them; there -- standing at the door where no one was standing scant moments before -- is a SHORT FEMALE H'NEMTHE clad in a set of tan coveralls, her three-fingered hands clasped tightly around the head of an ornate ebony cane.
SIRI: (startled) Wha --!
OBI-WAN: (shocked) where did you come from?
FLUTEY VOICE: (looks about the room) Here, there, everywhere. Perhaps nowhere.
The two Jedi exchange glances.
SIRI: Primeday Surprise, I assume?
PRIMEDAY (FLUTEY VOICE): I don't know -- do you?
SIRI: (confused) Excuse me?
PRIMEDAY: Do you assume?
SIRI: (frowns with bewilderment) I suppose ...
PRIMEDAY: Well don't. After all, when you assume, you make an ass out of you and me.
With that, the short H'nemthe walks forward, passing between Siri and Ben, on a course for the refresher. Turning to watch the strange female creature go, the Jedi again exchange glances.
INT. DETENTION CENTRE/ZULL'S CELL - EVENING
Zull sits against the back wall of her cell, facing the door. Her knees drawn up into her chest, she hangs her head low, her eyes closed in silent prayer; she doesn't immediately notice when the door to her cell slides open, allowing Pre Vizsla -- sans helmet and robes -- to step inside.
PRE VIZSLA: Zull.
Hearing his voice, the near-human woman looks up at the Mandalorian warrior, her eyes puffy and stained with shed tears.
PRE VIZSLA: I heard of what you did to put yourself here.
ZULL: Did you?
PRE VIZSLA: I am disappointed in you. What you did to that man wasn't simply barbaric, it was evil. He did nothing to deserve such a cruel, horrific death.
ZULL: Why tell me this? I already know. (beat) I will have to live with what I did.
PRE VIZSLA: Zull, when I came to you, you were blinded to an entire half of the Force. What I had done to you on the Nyax was to clear your vision, to show you the side of the Force that had been closed off to you. But you've only traded in blindness for blindness; you've embraced the darkness, but have discarded the light. (beat) To be whole, you must embrace both sides of the Force. There is a time for rage, but you must never let it oppress you. Temper anger with mercy, hate with pity, despair with hope. Otherwise you will only lose yourself and be consumed by an abyss of your own making.
ZULL: The anger is gone, the hate is gone, but the despair remains. I have nothing left.
PRE VIZSLA: Zull, please stand up.
The fallen priestess looks up at the Mandalorian. She does nothing for a moment, then -- slowly -- rises to her feet. She stands there, her face expressionless but her eyes sorrowful. Reaching to his side, Vizsla withdraws a lightsaber -- the same lightsaber he took from the slain Bpfasshi Dark Jedi -- and hands it to her.
ZULL: A Jedi lightsaber?
PRE VIZSLA: It's a Force-activated lightsaber. The triggering mechanism is built within the casing.
Reaching into the weapon with the Force, Zull engages it. With a soft, burning hiss, the brilliant chartreuse blade extends into existence. Eyes widening with awe, she turns the blade around in the air, listening as it hums and buzzes with each movement.
PRE VIZSLA: There are few so-called darksiders out there who truly reject the light side of the Force in sole favour of the dark. Most who have been branded with the label merely see the Force for what it is and embrace it in its entirety. There are exceptions, however, those who have abandoned the light and allowed the darkness to rule their lives, to consume their very souls. The owner of this weapon was one such exception. He refused to acknowledge the light, and paid the ultimate price for his lack of vision.
Zull stops playing with the lightsaber and her eyes fall upon Vizsla, her green-gold irises glowing as the burning yellow-green light of the lightsaber reflects in them.
ZULL: I could take this weapon and kill you now. Not even you could avoid the blow from this distance.
PRE VIZSLA: (nods) That is true. You could kill me now and have your final revenge. (beat) But you don't want to. You are tired of how the rage and hatred has blinded you, tired of how it has taken hold of everything you are and twisted it into a diseased mockery.
ZULL: (a tear running from her eye) Yes.
PRE VIZSLA: Zull, I have done you wrong, but I can still help you. I can help you out of this. Come with me, be my apprentice, and help me to help you find the light again.
Crying, Zull lowers the lightsaber, deactivating it. Gently, Vizsla draws her to him, wrapping his arms around her as she rests her head on his shoulder. Her arms, along with the deactivated lightsaber, now sit pinned between them.
PRE VIZSLA: I love you, Zull.
Zull says nothing, and merely cries silently into his shoulder. Closing his eyes, Vizsla begins to dance slowly, creating a slow waltz with the Meketrex woman in his arms.