Star Wars: The Age of Peace

The crystal's soft glow barely lit the cave as I turned to leave, deciding to head back to the ship. I was still dizzy after the illusion it put me through, especially as my old memories returned, mixing with what I saw. The reality was quite different, after all... On that day, I didn't know any Makashi techniques, so I was beaten. So much so that I ended up in a bacta tank before being told that I was being stricken out of the family registry and I would be only an asset that the family would use to gain ties with other powers.

It was then that I lashed out with force and, for the first time, threw my father through the room over his table. I didn't wait for him to regain consciousness... I simply left. I headed out into the galaxy without any care, only bringing things with me, and I remembered to pack. I didn't know back then, but I let the force guide me that day; it was why I ended up in the hands of Ben Skywalker. It was, well, as many would say, destiny.

Exiting the cave, chasing away my sadder thoughts, the warmth it offered was a small comfort against the growing realization that I had no idea how long I'd been here or how far I had wandered. Standing there, the way back wasn't clear for me anymore. The path I had taken to the crystal, once so obvious and undeniable, now seemed... missing. The Force, which had guided me so strongly before, was now silent, like a song abruptly ending.

"Oh... this is not good..."

I tightened my grip on the crystal, its presence a faint hope in the overwhelming shadows creeping over me as the sun was clearly on the trajectory of going down. Taking a deep breath, I tried to focus, to summon the Force to guide me once more. Nothing. It was as if Kyrenas itself had gone dormant, its vibrant energy fading with the waning light of the sun. No... it wasn't dormant. It just left me alone after uniting me with my kyber crystal.

"You've got this," I muttered to myself, trying to shake the rising doubt. "One step at a time."

I retraced my way as best I could, scanning the forest for familiar landmarks: the shape of a twisted tree and the jagged crystal formations jutting from the ground, my steps in the ground, marks on the vegetation as I pushed through it, or anything else. At first, I thought I was making progress, but the more I walked, the more unfamiliar everything seemed.

I was lost.

The light from the blue sun dimmed rapidly, and the shadows around me lengthened and merged as the day faded into twilight. I glanced up, watching the sky turn a deep indigo. It would be beautiful, but... not when I am alone in the jungle! I watched as tiny stars began to pierce the darkening canvas, their cold light offering little comfort and making me hurry up my steps.

With each passing moment, the jungle around me grew ever darker, and the crystal's soft glow was barely enough to illuminate the immediate area as I held it up. The shimmering trees and crystal-laden ground now felt eerie and alien, and with the sun disappearing, they have become just as dark as my surroundings.

Then, the sounds began.

At first, it was a low grumble, faint and distant, like the rustling of leaves in an unseen wind. Then came the chittering—a rapid, staccato clicking that echoed through the forest, bouncing off the crystalline formations like whispers in the dark. No matter how well I listened, the sound was coming from everywhere, and I couldn't pinpoint it. When I first heard it, I froze, clutching the crystal tightly, my heart beating rapidly in my chest. These sounds weren't just noise. They were alive, charged with the same strange Force energy I had felt earlier. These were the noises of animals coming out at night... probably hungry after sleeping through the day...

I knew that something was watching me. No, not something. Many things.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and the air seemed to thrum with energy as if the jungle had just become a new entity. I turned slowly, scanning the shadows, but saw nothing. It was way too dark, and even if there was something, I couldn't spot its eyes. Yet I could feel them—creatures hidden in the vegetation, their presence pressing against my senses like an unrelenting tide, ready to jump and devour me.

"Calm down!" I told myself, repeating our breathing exercises and using the Force to calm my emotions. Fear was an enemy. I had to be in control, or it would cause my fall and death! "I am going to be a Jedi..." I whispered, closing my eyes, seeing not with my senses but with the force.

My breathing slowed as I forced myself to keep moving, fighting back my rising panic. Each step felt heavier than the last, but I fought against the oppressive atmosphere, determined to see through it.

The forest came alive as night fully descended. The chittering grew louder, joined by more guttural growls and distant howls. Shadows shifted in the corner of my vision, fleeting shapes that disappeared the moment I turned my head. Maybe they weren't even there... perhaps they were. But... for now, I was making my way wherever it led me. As Ben Skywalker said, my road may cross with others one day. I hoped he was right!

As the night continued, and it was hours since the sun disappeared, it wasn't just the animals that unnerved me anymore. It was the Force itself. The once-harmonious energy of Kyrenas now felt wild, untamed, and preying on us, Force-sensitives. It clawed at the edges of my mind as if testing me, daring me to falter. Provoking.

By the time I realized how dark the night had become, I could barely see two feet in front of me. The crystal's light was my only guide, its glow faint but steady, even in this ungodly situation. Still, I wasn't stupid. I had no choice but to stop and wait for the morning.

Setting my satchel down, I cleared a small area near a cluster of trees and arranged some stones into a crude circle. Gathering fallen branches and leaves, I managed to ignite a small fire with the emergency kit I had packed. The flickering flames cast lengthy shadows across the trees, their movements unnervingly similar to living beings I could swear I was seeing while traveling. However, with its orange light, I was somewhat... more optimistic.

I sat close to the fire, hugging my knees as the night continued, knowing sleep was out of the question. The sounds of the forest were constant now—a symphony of growls, chattering teeth, and howls. Who could sleep while listening to something like this? Every so often, I swore I could hear something moving just beyond the edge of the firelight, but it never rustled the nearest leaves, and it never jumped onto me. At least my back was protected, thanks to the massive tree trunk behind me.

"Stay calm," I whispered, trying to steady my breathing once again.

But staying calm was easier said than done. My Force sensitivity, usually a gift, felt like a curse here. I could feel everything—every presence, every movement, every pulse of the world around me. The creatures weren't just animals. They were Force-attuned, their energy wild and primal, so I could sense their... intentions. Their presence.

One such creature stood out among the rest.

It was distant at first, just another ripple through the chaos assaulting my senses, but it grew stronger as the night wore on. It wasn't like the others. It was more... rabid. And it was getting closer. I stared into the darkness, my hand instinctively reaching for the training saber that wasn't there. Yet, whatever was out there, it was coming towards me.

The hours dragged by, each one more suffocating than the last. The fire kept crackling softly, its light my only shield against the darkness and unknown creatures hiding in it. The presence that was by now clearly honed in on me through the Force grew stronger and nearer, its energy pressing against mine with an elemental ferocity.

I couldn't sit anymore, so I stood, clutching the crystal in one hand and a sturdy branch I had sharpened into a crude sword in the other. My heart pounded as I scanned the shadows, every instinct screaming that an attack was imminent, and I reflexively dropped into Makashi's opening style.

Then, the growls and chittering stopped.

The sudden silence was deafening, more alarming than the noise. Whatever was out there, its arrival was immediate. My pulse raced as I braced myself, the crystal's glow casting eerie patterns across the trees while I spread out my senses to find the beast. Then...

A branch snapped behind me.

I spun around, raising my makeshift weapon, but nothing emerged from the darkness. Another crunch came from my left—a soft rustle of leaves, followed by rapid, uneven footsteps.

"Come on," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Stop toying with me..."

The presence, answering my wishes, burst into my awareness, wild and overwhelming. I turned again, ready to face whatever it was that was stalking me, only to see a figure stumble into the firelight.

It wasn't an animal... not really.

It was Vila.

Her violet eyes were wide with panic, and her face was pale and streaked with dirt and tiny cuts caused by this planet's crystalline nature. She stumbled forward, collapsing onto her knees, and her lekku twitched uncontrollably as she struggled to catch her breath, coughing.

"Vila?" I dropped the branch and rushed to her side. "What's wrong?"

Her hands clutched at her head, her breathing rapid and shallow. She didn't answer, her eyes darting around wildly as if expecting something to attack at any moment, barely recognizing my face, only registering that I was a human and not a monster.

"It's okay," I said, kneeling beside her and placing a hand on her shoulder. "You're safe now. Just breathe. As we learned! Follow my lead!" I continued, using the Force to calm her down.

She flinched at my touch but didn't pull away. Listening to me, doing her best to follow my lead, her breathing began to steady, though the terror in her eyes didn't fade at all.

"They... they were everywhere," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "The noises... the monsters... it's like they were hunting me. Again..."

I frowned, my concern deepening. Vila was strong and tougher than most of the Padawans. For her to be this shaken meant whatever she had experienced was beyond anything I could imagine. Yet, when I tried looking around, I could feel no other presence... which didn't mean they were not there.

"They weren't hunting you," I said softly, trying to reassure her. "It's this place. The forest... the Force. It's testing us. It probably draws on our own connection, on our experiences."

"No," she said sharply, shaking her head. "I heard the monsters... They were hunting me, I had to run! I... I!"

"Relax! Breathe!" I supported her before she could collapse, spending almost an hour calming her down and making her realize nothing was going to jump on us. By then, I totally forgot about my own fear, only focusing on keeping Vila calm and collected, realizing there was nothing hunting us—not really—only our own fears.

Her voice broke when she finally spoke again, and I felt a surge of emotion through the Force—fear, shame, and something deeper, a wound that hadn't healed yet.

"I..." She hesitated, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "They used me," she whispered. "Back when I was... when I was a slave. They used me as bait. To lure predators. To trap them. I was..." She trailed off, her voice choked with emotion.

I stared at her, the importance of her words sinking in. It was the first time she truly opened up to me... And now I had an understanding of Vila's strength, her aggression, her refusal to show weakness—it all made sense now.

"You're not there anymore," I said firmly, meeting her gaze. "You're here. With me. With the Jedi. And I... We won't let anything happen to you."

Her lip trembled, but she nodded, clutching her arms tightly around herself. The tyrannical weight of the night seemed to lessen around her a little as the fire crackled softly between us, its warmth pushing back the darkness. Watching her, I leaned back a little, kneeling there calmly, my eyes wandering around the forest, feeling it was different than before. It was... calmer. It was as if our test was finished for the day, leaving us be, at least for now.