I'm Star-Lord (SW Xover)

C237 Dagobah

c237 dagobah

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——————

the interior of atlas hummed with activity as peter and the group stepped out of the shuttle and into one of the cybertronian ship's many hangars, where peter's crew had gathered, waiting for him.

optimus prime's towering frame moved forward, his voice a deep rumble. "welcome aboard, captain."

tony leaned casually against the wall, arms crossed. "uhh, peter. i thought you were hiding your identity from the jedi?" he asks, pointing at yoda.

rocket snorted from atop groot's shoulder. "looks like somebody got found out."

"maybe he was tired of hiding?" cosmo defended her captain as she rushed over for some head pats, her tail wagging.

natasha and mikaela shot padmé a quick, envious glance, clearly annoyed that she got to monopolize their boyfriend's time while they were stuck on the ship. their attention then shifted to yoda, giving him an appraising look. "did something happen?" natasha asks peter.

peter raised a hand, silencing the growing wave of questions. "alright, alright, settle down. master yoda is here to take me on a little training trip."

"training trip?" mikaela echoed, raising an eyebrow. "isn't that what you've been doing for years? what's different now?"

peter shrugged, his mask retracting to reveal his face. "beats me. yoda's being cryptic as usual. says it's important, though, so we're doing it."

rocket crossed his arms, his tone skeptical. "great. another jedi thing. just what we need—more glow sticks and mysterious mumbo jumbo."

yoda's ears twitched, his gaze shifting to his former padawan. "interesting, your friends are."

peter rolled his eyes, gesturing toward the hallway. "alright, crew, show's over. everyone back to whatever it is you were doing. i'm giving yoda a tour."

as everyone dispersed, peter led yoda through the sprawling corridors of atlas, his voice carrying an easy confidence as he explained the various sections of the ship.

"this here is the main hangar," peter said, gesturing around the massive, cavernous space where cybertronians worked alongside human crew members. "we've got enough room to park a small fleet if we need to."

yoda nodded thoughtfully. "impressive, your ship is."

they moved on, passing the medbay, the engineering section, and the living quarters. yoda observed everything with quiet interest, his gaze lingering on the advanced technology and diverse crew.

finally, they arrived at the training room—a large, open space filled with various equipment for combat and force practice.

peter leaned against the doorframe, gesturing to the room. "this is where i train. well, where i used to train alone. these days, it's more for my apprentices."

yoda's ears perked at the word. "apprentices, you say? thought one, only you had. skywalker."

peter smirked. "i said apprentices, didn't i? anakin's one of them, but i've got more."

yoda's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of curiosity in his expression. "reveal them, you will?"

"tomorrow," peter said, stepping into the room. "we've got a training session scheduled. you're invited."

yoda's expression softened, and he inclined his head. "attend, i will. curious, i am, to see these apprentices of yours."

peter grinned. "good. you're gonna love them."

————

next day...

the training room hummed with quiet anticipation as peter stood at its center, arms crossed, surveying the space. beside him stood anakin, shifting with barely concealed excitement. the air seemed heavier than usual, the presence of grandmaster yoda adding a layer of gravity to the occasion.

yoda stood nearby, leaning on his cane, his sharp eyes fixed on anakin with quiet appraisal. though he had met the boy before, this was their first formal encounter.

suddenly, the room's doors slid open with a hiss. the sound of mechanical humming filled the air as a levitating platform entered the room, carrying a familiar figure.

yoda's eyes widened, his cane tapping against the floor as he instinctively stiffened. on the platform was darth maul, his upper body rigid, his arms and legs still missing. his yellow, hate-filled eyes scanned the room, though his expression was unreadable. a series of restraints held him firmly in place, a reminder that he was as much a prisoner as he was an apprentice.

yoda's voice was sharp, disbelief etched into every syllable. "maul..."

peter nodded, his tone casual. "yeah, he's been rotting in a cell ever since our fight on earth. he's one of my apprentices now."

yoda turned sharply, his brow furrowed. "dangerous, this is. a sith, he remains."

peter raised a hand, cutting him off. "not a sith anymore. not fully. and yeah, we've got a long way to go, but i plan to rehabilitate him. he's a weapon, master—one i plan to use against the sith lord hiding in the kree empire."

yoda opened his mouth to argue, but before he could speak, the room dimmed slightly, and a faint hum of energy filled the air. in the center of the training room, a glowing portal materialized, swirling with golden light.

yoda's head snapped toward it, his eyes widening further as he gripped his cane tightly. from the portal stepped a figure clad in flowing robes, her bald head gleaming under the room's lights. her serene expression carried an air of authority and calm.

the ancient one.

she bowed slightly, her tone respectful as she spoke. "grandmaster yoda. it is an honor to meet you."

yoda blinked, his gaze darting between her and the now-vanished portal. "know me, you do?" he asked, his voice cautious.

the ancient one's lips curved into a knowing smile. "oh, i know many things, master yoda. but introductions are best left to our mutual acquaintance." she turned to peter with an amused expression. "master," she said, her tone teasing.

peter stepped forward, grinning. "master yoda, meet the ancient one—my third apprentice."

yoda's eyes narrowed, his gaze lingering on where the portal had been. "much, i do not understand. yet powerful, you are."

the ancient one inclined her head. "understanding will come in time."

peter clapped his hands together, breaking the moment of tension. "alright, now that we're all here, let's get started. jedi grandmaster yoda, meet my apprentices: anakin skywalker, darth maul, and the ancient one."

yoda glanced at each of them in turn, his expression unreadable. 'worrying, this is...'

yoda gave a small nod, his cane tapping once against the floor. "believe in you, i do. prove me right, you must."

the room fell silent again, the weight of their conversation hanging in the air. for the first time, peter felt the enormity of the trust yoda was placing in him.

and he intended to honor it.

————

weeks later...

atlas emerged from hyperspace with a burst of light, the streaking stars giving way to the murky green sphere of dagobah. the planet loomed large in the viewports, shrouded in swirling clouds and storms that seemed to pulse with an eerie life of their own. lightning illuminated patches of dense fog, showing fleeting glimpses of the twisted swamp below.

the bridge was silent for a moment, the crew taking in the unsettling sight.

padmé was the first to speak, her tone uncertain. "this... is where peter's training?" she leaned closer to the viewport, her brow furrowing. "it looks... hostile."

"hostile's one way to put it," rocket muttered from his station. "looks like a place you go to die."

anakin, standing beside peter, squinted at the planet as though trying to see through the swirling mists. "i can feel it," he said softly, his voice tinged with unease. "the force—it's strong here. but it feels... strange."

peter, his arms crossed as he stared out at dagobah, gave a slow nod. "it's not just strong—it's alive. the whole planet feels like it's buzzing with energy." he paused, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "and it's not light energy. it's darkness. and it's everywhere."

lylla, standing nearby, tilted her head curiously. "alive, you say? that's... unsettling."

yoda, seated in his makeshift chair at the center of the bridge, finally spoke, his voice calm and measured. "alive, the force is, in all things. but here, raw it is. untamed and dark."

natasha turned from her station, raising an eyebrow. "and that makes this the perfect place to train?"

yoda inclined his head, his tone carrying a note of cryptic wisdom. "a test, dagobah itself will be. strong in the dark side, this place is. balance, it needs."

peter glanced at yoda, his brows furrowing. "alright, how do we start?"

yoda didn't respond immediately. instead, he closed his eyes, seeming to commune with the energy surrounding him. "the answers you seek, on the planet below, they lie. if ready, you are."

padmé exchanged a glance with peter, her expression a mix of concern and skepticism. "this doesn't feel like training—it feels like a death sentence."

"probably because it will be if i fail," peter muttered, his gaze fixed on the viewport. he exhaled deeply, then pushed off the console, standing upright. "alright, let's get down there and see what we're up against."

"great," rocket said with mock enthusiasm. "can't wait to see what horrors this swamp's got waiting for us."

yoda's cane tapped softly against the deck as he stood from his chair. "go, we must. but alone, peter and i will go. dangerous, dagobah is. for the unprepared, survive, they will not."

the reaction was immediate.

"what?!" natasha's voice was sharp, her expression set in defiance as she stepped forward. "you can't expect us to just sit here while peter goes down there alone."

mikaela crossed her arms, her jaw tight. "she's right. we're not just going to let him walk into whatever hellhole this is without us."

even rocket chimed in, waving his tiny arms. "yeah, you'll need someone to watch your back. preferably someone with a big gun—like me!"

yoda remained unmoved, his gaze steady. "understand, you must. not strength of arms, this test is. within the force, challenges lie."

peter raised a hand to silence the growing arguments, his tone calm but resolute. "he's right. i can feel it. this isn't the kind of fight any of you are used to—it's something else."

padmé stepped forward, concern etched on her face. "but you don't even know what's waiting for you down there. what if—" she stopped herself, taking a steadying breath. "what if you don't come back?"

peter turned to her, his masked gaze softening. "i will come back." his voice was steady, but there was a hint of vulnerability beneath it. "but this... this is something i have to do. i can feel it in the force. it's calling me."

natasha wasn't convinced, her arms crossing as she stared him down. "you're not invincible, peter. you might have powers, but you're not indestructible. you can't just throw yourself into danger like this."

mikaela nodded in agreement, her tone quieter but no less determined. "we've seen what happens when you try to take everything on yourself. you don't have to do this alone."

yoda interjected, his voice cutting through the growing tension. "alone, he must go. not face the planet's trials, can you. understand this, the force does."

groot, standing off to the side, looked at peter with wide eyes. "i am groot?"

peter walked over and placed a hand on groot's shoulder, his voice soft. "i know, buddy. i'll be careful."

lylla stepped closer, her tone measured but carrying a note of worry. "we just... we don't want to lose you."

peter straightened, his gaze sweeping over the group. "i'm not going anywhere for good. this is just another step. if i don't take it, i'll never get where i need to be."

natasha opened her mouth to argue again, but peter shook his head. "no. this isn't up for debate. yoda's right—dagobah's not a place you can just walk into. if i take anyone else down there, i'm putting them in danger too."

mikaela stepped back, biting her lip. "i hate this."

peter offered her a faint smile. "i know."

padmé reached for his hand, her voice quieter now. "just come back... or else."

peter squeezed her hand gently. "i promise." with a final look at his crew, peter turned to yoda. "let's go."

the group watched in silence as peter and yoda made their way to the small shuttle, their figures dwarfed by the imposing backdrop of dagobah visible through the viewport. natasha clenched her fists, her frustration evident, while mikaela and padmé exchanged worried glances.

rocket crossed his arms, grumbling under his breath. "still think this is a terrible idea."

as the shuttle descended into the dense fog of dagobah, the crew remained on the bridge, their eyes fixed on the planet below. the oppressive atmosphere seemed to press against the windows, a stark reminder of the danger their captain was walking into.

on the bridge, natasha turned to mikaela and padmé, her tone grim but resolute. "if anything happens to him, we're going down there. no matter what."

mikaela and padmé nodded in unison, their expressions steeled.

for now, all they could do was wait—and hope.

a/n: 3225 words :)