CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
--Jakku--
Toah Jarsan watched as Jacen Solo sipped from his mug of caf. It had been a remarkably long time since he had last seen the eldest son of Han and Leia; not since Darth Vorath's defeat had the two been on the same planet together, let alone spoken to each other.
He's definitely no longer the boy I once taught, Toah thought to himself, regarding Jacen's wizened features. How things have changed.
Once Jacen had finished his caf, he set the mug down and leaned against the tent wall. "You're probably wondering what I've been up to."
"That is a major understatement," Toah said dryly. "I've heard that you've been exploring other cultures relating to the Force."
"You've heard correctly. I've been seeking knowledge for the past five years, receiving tutelage from the H'drachi, the Baran Do, the Aing-Tii... as well as the Church of the Force here on Jakku."
"Interesting. So why did you return to Ossus?"
Jacen exhaled softly. "During my travels, I... discovered something out on the edge of the Unknown Regions. Something great, yet... terrifying.
"I knew it was dangerous but I decided to investigate it further. While I did not uncover much, I did find out about this Darth Taral person and what he was planning. I rushed straight back to Ossus, but by then, he had already begun his endgame.
"I found Master Raun, who promised to keep my presence unknown to the other Jedi for the time being, and told him of what I knew. He did not believe me fully, thinking that my mind may have been clouded by the dark side. He said he would present my fears to the Council, but I feel that he never did, for the Jedi were unprepared for the Sith's attack."
"Yes, I think some forewarning would have been helpful," Toah murmured. "So this thing you've discovered... is it something that can be destroyed? Something that can be rid of?"
Before Jacen could answer, the entrance of the tent parted and Lor San Tekka appeared.
"Your transportation is prepared. The others are ready when you are."
"Thank you, Lor." Jacen got to his feet and followed San Tekka out of the tent, with Toah close behind.
Out in the village, the two Jedi were led to a pair of landspeeders, their makeshift appearance indicative of their cobbled-together nature. In one were Jedi Masters Kyle Katarn, along with the Wraiths Wran and Drikall. The other seated Xemer and Shadow, with two seats left open for Toah and Jacen.
As the pair got into the second speeder, Wallen Nix emerged from another tent. Upon seeing Toah and the others, he approached the vehicle.
"Well, I'll be spiced," the detective muttered. "Of all the planets to end up stranded on, we just happen to run into you. Small galaxy."
"Sometimes it's too small for my tastes," Toah said. "How are you feeling, captain?"
"I feel like I could square off against a nest of gundarks, but the Ithorian tells me it's the medicine talking." Wallen shrugged. "Looks like I won't be able to join you in finding Atha."
"Don't worry about it, buddy," Xemer said. "You need the rest anyway."
Wallen quirked an eyebrow. "And you guys don't? You were all in the crash too."
"Yes, but we woke up long before you did and have had plenty of time to recover," Shadow said. "To be honest, we started to wonder if you would ever wake up. Even I was starting to worry."
Wallen blinked. "Really?"
"Of course. I didn't want to have to drag your lifeless husk out into the desert to bury you. Too much sweating for such a frivolous task."
Wallen rolled his eyes as he turned away from the speeders. "I hope you pass out from heat exhaustion."
Shadow chuckled as he started up the speeder. "Not if I shapeshift into a Mustafarian."
As the speeder started to rev up, Jacen gave Toah a sidelong glance. "Where do you find these people?"
Toah shook his head. "Usually I don't. Usually they find me."
"Ah. Well, I can't deny that you're certainly an interesting individual."
Toah sighed. "Sometimes I wish I wasn't."
* * *
There were many benefits to living alone in the middle of a desert. The most important one -- and truly the only one Rey could actually think of -- was that it meant little to no disturbance.
It helped that her home was a fallen Imperial walker, which she had stripped of all its valuable parts. As such, no scavengers ever came by to raid her home for parts; the sole exception to this being the ever-wandering Teedo, who bothered pretty much everyone in or near Niima Outpost.
Thus, when Rey finally reached her home and found a crimson-clad figure standing near it, she knew something was not right.
Parking her speeder a few feet further than normal, Rey disembarked from her custom transport and cautiously approached the stranger, gripping her quarterstaff.
"Can I help you?" she called out to the figure.
The stranger regarded her from afar, a pair of red lights glowing from his helmet. Rey wasn't sure if they were an organic or a droid of some sort. When the being spoke, she discerned it to be the former.
"Perhaps you can," he said. "I am in search of a ship of mine that crashed here long ago. I don't suppose you know where I could find it?"
Rey frowned. "Depends. What kind of ship is it?"
"An Executor-class Star Dreadnought. Do you know of such a craft?"
Rey did in fact know of a crashed vessel by that name. Ivano Troade, a scavenger she used to work for, had been very knowledgeable of the ships that made up what was known as the Graveyard of Giants. While she did not know how much of it was genuine (everyone she knew used to call him Crazy Ivan) she was nonetheless fascinated by his tales of wars in the stars.
Although she was still skeptical of this stranger, she decided there was no harm in telling what him she knew. If anything, he could perhaps be even more knowledgeable than Ivano. Perhaps he could even lead her to whom she was waiting for.
"Yes, actually," she said. "There are the remains of one in the Graveyard, just north of here. A friend of mine called it the Great Ravager."
"Yes!" the stranger said excitedly. "That is indeed what I seek! Can you take me there?"
Rey frowned. "I'm not sure I should. I don't even know you."
"No, you don't. Not yet anywhere." He extended a hand to her. "Please. I don't ask for much. I just wish to reach my destination before I died from heating in this armor."
"Why not just take the armor off?"
"That is not an option for me," the stranger said firmly.
"Okay...." Rey looked off in the direction of the Graveyard, the silhouette of a crashed Star Destroyer outlined by the setting sun. "What exactly do you plan on doing once you get to your ship? I've been to the Ravager; it's not exactly in any state to fly."
"That's fine. I don't need it to fly. Please, just drop me off there and I'll be out of your hair. I promise."
Rey considered for a moment whether or not to trust this man. While he could easily be one of Unkar's thugs trying to extort her or even a rival of Unkar trying to shake her down, he still seemed genuine in his plea. Perhaps he had come all the way out here just to see the Ravager. Maybe she was just being needlessly skeptical and paranoid.
After enough contemplation, she finally motioned the stranger to her speeder. "Fine. Come along then. Just know that if you try anything clever, I'm pushing you off without a second thought."
"Fair enough," the stranger said as he followed her to the speeder. "Before we go though, can I get your name?"
"You first."
"Atha. Atha Prime."
"Rey. Just Rey."
Atha Prime clasped his hands together. "A pleasure to meet you, 'Just Rey.' And don't worry: I feel that we're going to get along just fine."
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