The forest enveloped Rey as she pushed deeper into the thick undergrowth, each step taking her farther from the city of West Platt. Moss-covered trees towered above her. Flying creatures moved through the canopy, casting shadows in the moonlight. There was a pull, a disturbance in the Force, that gnawed at her senses. It was subtle at first, like a faint whisper, but the closer she got to her destination, the stronger it became.
Rey paused for a moment, brushing a strand of hair from her face. She glanced upward, hearing the faint hum of an approaching ship. The vessel soared above her, making its way toward a distant clearing. She resumed her pace, quickening her steps, her senses heightened. As she approached the clearing, the dense forest opened up, revealing the structure she had been searching for.
The temple from her vision.
The temple was massive, a towering stone relic from a bygone era, its surface covered in moss and cracks, weathered by centuries of neglect. But despite its age, the temple was anything but abandoned. The ship she had seen earlier, a medium-sized transport, landed softly on a platform nearby.
From her position at the edge of the trees, Rey watched intently as a group of hooded figures emerged from the ship. They carried heavy crates toward a large stone archway, that led into the temple's interior. She couldn't sense any immediate danger from the group, but there was a foreboding undercurrent in the Force, a warning that something was amiss.
Rey could feel Ben reaching out through the Force, his presence flickering in her mind like a distant star.
I don't think the temple is abandoned.
No, it isn't.
Rey waited until the last of them disappeared inside, before she moved from her hiding place. She crossed the clearing swiftly, her footsteps barely making a sound on the soft grass. Her cloak billowed slightly in the breeze as she reached the stone archway, pressing herself against the cold surface of the temple wall. She glanced inside and saw no sign of them. The hallway beyond was dark and narrow.
She slipped inside, her eyes adjusting quickly to the gloom. The narrow hallway opened up into a larger chamber, the ceiling high above her, with ancient murals etched into the stone. But what caught her attention were the stacks of crates lining the walls. Rey approached one of the crates, carefully prying it open. Inside, blasters were stacked in neat rows. She inspected the contents quickly, there were hundreds of them, all brand new. She moved to the next crate, finding more weapons. This was more than just a hideout.
Rey heard a noise from deeper within the temple, and she quickly closed the crate, moving further into the structure. She descended a set of stone stairs, the passage leading down into the heart of the temple. The air grew cooler, and she heard the distant hum of machinery. She followed the sound until she stepped out onto a wide stone balcony. Below her was a massive hangar bay, filled with dozens of starfighters. Rey's breath caught as she saw the array of ships being serviced by dozens of workers, many of them moving about with tools and parts, fixing up the fleet.
She stepped back, intending to leave and relay the information to Ben. But then, she felt it. The unmistakable sensation of danger creeping up behind her. Rey spun around, two hooded men appeared from the shadows. They weren't armed, but their intentions were clear.
She held up a hand and slowly waved it through the air. "It's okay that I'm here."
One man responded with a deep voice, "No, it's not."
It didn't work. They lunged at her, throwing punches aimed at her midsection and face. She moved swiftly, dodging the blows with ease. Her training and connection to the Force made the fight seem almost trivial at first. She ducked under a wild swing, delivering a precise elbow strike to one man's ribs, sending him stumbling back. The other swung at her, but she twisted out of the way, countering with a kick to his knee that dropped him to the ground.
But before she could finish the fight, a third man emerged from the shadows, holding a blaster. She sensed him too late.
Rey felt a jolt of energy slam into her side. The stun bolt spread through her body like fire, her muscles seizing. Her vision blurred, she tried to fight it, to stay conscious, but the stun shot was too powerful. Her knees buckled and everything went dark.
—
Ben walked down the dimly lit streets of West Platt, an unsettling feeling gnawed at him. The streets were relatively empty, with the occasional passerby casting quick glances his way, unaware of the Jedi beneath the dark hood. As he approached the landing pad where the Falcon was docked, the feeling intensified. He quickened his pace as the Falcon came into view.
R2-D2 greeted him with a soft chirp from the top of the ship's ramp, his dome swiveling to focus on Ben as he approached.
"Hey R2, any word from Finn?"
The droid gave a series of quick beeps and whistles. His dome swiveled to the side, indicating the nearby communication console.
"Play the message."
He heard Finn's voice as the recording began. "Kaydel was attacked again, she is alright."
Ben's jaw clenched as Finn continued.
"We successfully captured one of the attackers. He is a member of the Path. We've got confirmation now that they're behind the assassination attempts. We'll take Kaydel back to Dulathia, then we'll go to Dalna to help you. Good luck, and may the Force be with you."
The recording ended and Ben tried to reach Rey through the Force.
Rey.
Something felt wrong, her presence in the Force was distant, like a faint echo.