It had been years since the Valley of the Jedi and his battle with Jerec and then his fall to the darkside, thank the Force for Mara Jade soon to be Skywalker if things went smoothly between her and Luke.
It had been months since Desann fell.
Months since Kyle Katarn reclaimed his power.
Yet, the past still clung to him, a shadow that refused to dissipate.
It had been a long dayāor night. Hard to tell in space. Without a chronometer, time blurred into meaninglessness.
All Kyle knew was that he needed a break.
After everythingāthe battles, the deception, the things he had seen and feltāhis body longed for rest. But rest never came easy. Not when his mind remained trapped in the past.
Seated in the Raven's Claw, he leaned back in his pilot's chair, staring at the endless void beyond the viewport. The navicomputer hummed softly as he scrolled through planetary listings.
Somewhere remote. Somewhere beyond the reach of the Imperial Remnant and New Republic.
No warlords. No politics. Just quiet.
But the more he searched, the clearer it became.
That place didn't exist.
Kyle exhaled, rubbing his temple. Figures. He should have known better.
Even if they found a quiet world, trouble would find them eventually. It always did.
His fingers hovered over the console, but his mind drifted elsewhere. Back to a time when he had walked away from the Force.
Back to what had led him there.
No oneānot even Lukeāhad fully understood why he did it. Sure, the official story was that he abandoned the Force out of fear of falling to the dark side after the Valley of the Jedi.
That was partly true.
But the deeper reason was something far worse.
Kyle had felt something in the shadows. Something ancient. Something that made him question everything he knew about the Jedi, the Sith, and the war he had fought so blindly in.
It wasn't just fear of himself that made him sever his connection to the Force.
It was fear of what was lurking beyond it.
And even now, after reclaiming his power, he could feel it. Watching. Waiting.
Kyle sighed, pushing the thoughts away. There was no use dwelling on the past. He reached out with the Force, searching for Jan's presenceājust to be sure.
A familiar warmth answered him. Steady, real.
She was there.
He let out a slow breath. He had been wary ever since Desann's mind games, but the Force didn't lie.
This was reality.
His mind shifted to something elseāLuke's offer.
"Come to Yavin IV," Luke had said. "Help train the next generation of Jedi."
Kyle smirked. Him? A teacher?
It was laughable. He had only just regained his Force abilities. If anything, he should be relearning, not instructing. But he wasn't stupidāhe knew how Luke operated.
If he agreed, he wouldn't just be another instructor.
No.
Luke would have him teaching the next class of initiates before he knew it.
Stillā¦ maybe it wouldn't be the worst thing.
Kyle sighed and shook the thought from his mind. He needed clarity.
Closing his eyes, he reached out with the Force once more.
A vision formedāCoruscant.
The pull was unmistakable.
That was where he needed to go.
Kyle didn't fight it. He turned back to the controls and began pre-flight checks.
But he wouldn't leave yet.
Not before talking to Jan.
Wherever they went next, they'd decide together.
8 Hours Later....
Jan Ors awoke feeling refreshed.
Physically, at least.
Mentally?
Not even close.
The last few months had been hell.
Desann had used her. Manipulated her. Faked her deathāforced Kyle's hand to reveal the Valley of the Jedi for the Shadowtrooper and Reborn program.
It had been a cruel, elaborate trap, and the worst part?
She had been powerless to stop it.
She hated that feeling.
The whole thing reminded her too much of Ruusan, back when she could do nothing but watch as Kyle waged war against Jerec and his Dark Jedi.
She had felt useless then, and the same feeling crept in now.
Was she really an asset to him?
Or just another weakness for his enemies to exploit?
The sound of the sleeping quarters door sliding open interrupted her thoughts.
Kyle entered, carrying a tray of food from the ship's dispenser. He didn't say anything at first, just placed it beside her before settling onto the edge of the cot.
Jan sat up, brushing stray strands of hair from her face. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until she saw the food. She ate in silence, aware of Kyle watching her, waiting.
Once she finished, he finally spoke.
"Janā¦ how are you feeling?"
The question was simple, but the meaning behind it wasn't.
She knew Kyle. This was just the prelude to whatever was actually on his mind.
She appreciated his concern, but she also hated the way he always held back, waiting for the right moment to say what he really meant.
Jan sighed, then smirked.
"I'm fine, Kyle." She leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms. "Now, speak your mind before I throw you out."
She added that last part playfully, but they both knewāshe meant it.
Kyle chuckled, shaking his head. But there was something in his eyes, something unspoken.
She recognized that look.
And whatever he was about to sayā
It was important.
Kyle finally exhaled.
"I feel the Force calling me to Coruscant," he admitted. "I know we just finished a mission, and I know you probably want a break. But thisā¦ this feels urgent. Will you come with me, or do you want me to go alone?"
Jan mulled over his words. He wasn't wrongāshe had been looking forward to downtime. But at the same time, she couldn't ignore her curiosity.
If the Force was calling him to Coruscant, there had to be a reason.
Still, she wanted a second opinion. And she knew exactly where to get it.
"If we're doing this," she said, "I have one condition."
Kyle sighed. He knew exactly what she was about to say.
"We see Luke first," she finished.
He crossed his arms, shaking his head. "Jan, I don'tā"
She raised an eyebrow, challenging him.
Kyle grumbled something under his breath before relenting. "Fine. But we're not staying any longer than necessary. Either we go to Coruscant, or we find a planet to take an actual vacation on. Hopefully, you'll have better luck finding one than I did."
Jan smirked. Kyle might have the Force, but when it came to picking out vacation spots, he was hopeless.
"Deal."