CHAPTER ONE
Jakku, one year ago
“You know what it is I seek.”
The fires of the burning village were reflected in the old man’s eyes as he stared back at the masked warriors standing in front of him. White-armored soldiers held him roughly by the arms, while others held his fellow villagers at blaster point.
“From what I understand, the San Tekkas have been known historically for their knowledge of hyperspace,” Kylo Ren went on. “This is why you were trusted with the secret location of the First Jedi Temple.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Lor San Tekka snapped, his eyes blazing with defiance. “I am no Jedi; why would I know of such a secret place?”
From behind the Knight of Ren, the stormtrooper designated FN-2187 watched the conversation between the two men unfold, keeping his F-11D blaster rifle trained on the scared Abednedo kneeling in front of him.
“Don’t lie to me,” Kylo Ren snarled, his modulated voice making him sound almost like some sort of possessed monster. “You knew Luke Skywalker once, did you not? You accompanied him on some of his travels, helping him rebuild the Jedi Order.”
San Tekka’s eyes narrowed. “I don’t know how you could possibly know of that. Regardless, it means nothing. He would have never entrusted something like that which you seek with an ordinary man such as myself.”
FN-2187 noticed Kylo Ren’s hand twitch as it drifted towards a cylindrical-shaped device hanging off his belt.
“You are no ordinary man, Lor San Tekka. No mere ordinary man would be such a close associate of Skywalker and his friends.”
San Tekka’s look of indignation melted into one of confusion. “You speak as if you know me, yet I don’t believe we’ve ever met. Who exactly are you and how do you know so much about me.”
“My identity means nothing,” Kylo Ren replied. “Your reputation — and the legacy of your family — simply precedes you.”
He unclipped the cylindrical device from his belt, his thumb hovering over the activation button.
“Now then, I will ask one last time: Give me the map to the First Jedi Temple. Or else, you will watch these villagers die.”
Fearful murmurs erupted from the crowd of villagers. An Ithorian woman’s voice rose louder than the rest and was quickly silenced by FN-2187’s chrome-plated superior — Captain Phasma — as she rammed the butt of her blaster into the Ithorian’s head.
“Please!” Lor San Tekka cried, raising his hands. “There is no need for that!”
He hung his head low, sighing in defeat.
“The map is no longer in my possession. I destroyed it when I heard rumors of the Sith’s return. I couldn’t risk letting it fall in their hands.”
“LIAR!” A red, unstable blade of energy extended from the cylinder as Kylo Ren pointed it at San Tekka’s face. “I know that you still have the map! Don’t bother hiding it from me!”
FN-2187 felt his body tense, though he was not sure why. He looked down at the terrified Abednedo at his mercy, seeing the pure fear in the villager’s eyes.
San Tekka stared back at Kylo Ren evenly. “I gain nothing from lying to you. The map is gone. You are wasting your time.”
“If that is the case, then yours is at an end.”
Kylo Ren raised his lightsaber and brought the crackling red blade down onto Lor San Tekka. As the legendary explorer crumpled to the ground, screams erupted from the other villagers. Some struggled to escape only to be quickly subdued by their armored captors. The Abednedo’s own screams filled FN-2187’s ears through the filters of his helmet, causing his whole body to freeze up.
“My lord.” Phasma’s icy voice cut through the air as she stepped towards Lor San Tekka’s murderer. “What shall we do with the villagers?”
As he sheathed his lightsaber, Kylo Ren spared only a moment to assess the gathered villagers. “Kill them all.”
With that, he turned sharply on his heel and departed for his command shuttle, ignoring the cries of fear and protest coming from the villagers. Phasma then stepped forward to address her soldiers.
“Round them up!” she barked.
Unable to move, FN-2187 could only watch as his fellow stormtrooper FN-2199 stepped over and dragged the Abednedo away from him, pulling them into line with the other villagers. A sharp nudge from another trooper snapped FN-2187 out of his trance and he moved into formation with his teammates, raising his blaster at the villagers, his finger resting on the trigger.
“On my mark,” Phasma began, raising a hand.
FN-2187 barely even heard her when she gave the command. The sounds of the others’ blasters firing filled his ears, accompanied by the dying screams of the villager. One by one, they fell: the Abednedo man, the Ithorian woman, a Twi’lek couple, even a Rodian child were not save from the stormtroopers’ wrath.
It was only after all was said and done, and a deathly silence fell over the village of Tuanul, that he realized his finger was still resting on the trigger….
D’Qar, now
“Lor San Tekka is dead?”
Finn nodded, standing before the leaders of the Resistance in their command center. They had agreed to meet with him after Poe Dameron, whom Finn had met back on Ord Mantell, had told them about him being a defector from the First Order and thus someone who had information on the mysterious faction that had arisen from the ashes of Darth Taral’s operations.
Standing front and center of the assembled Resistance leaders was Leia Organa Solo — once the Princess of Alderaan and a hero of the Rebellion, now the primary leader of the Resistance. To her right stood General Hawk Dorian and Admiral Gial Ackbar, veterans of the New Republic. To her left were Admiral Statura and General Helricks, who had both come out of retirement to join General Organa in her efforts to expose the corruption that currently plagued the Galactic Alliance and the powers they believed were behind that corruption. Standing just off to the side was Commander Poe Dameron himself, eying the entire conversation with interest.
Upon hearing of Lor San Tekka’s death, General Organa’s expression became grave, almost heartbroken. “He was a good man,” she said quietly. “A very close friend to my family. He will be dearly missed.”
“Is there more to your story, Mister Finn?” asked Admiral Statura. “I don’t believe you have explained how exactly you defected from this First Order and made your way to Ord Mantell.”
Finn shifted. “There’s not much to it, admiral. I did arise some suspicion from my superiors for failing to fire on the villagers, but I was able to convince them that my blaster had been jammed. I then waited around for a while until I could fake my death and slip away. As far as the First Order knows, I’m as good as dead.”
“How deliberately vague,” said General Helricks, eying Finn skeptically. She was an older woman with white hair and many wrinkles on her face, though they made her look more hardened rather than stern. “Forgive me for being hesitant to believe your story, mister, but as a high-ranking officer of a private military force, I am obligated to have some degree of skepticism in order to preserve our security.”
“I understand, general,” Finn replied. “If it would help, I do have more to give you, such as basic understanding of the First Order’s command structure, some of its key figures, and even some of their affiliates.”
“Such information would be much appreciated,” said Leia Organa. “I will send you over to our director of Intelligence, so that you can provide them with the information.”
Finn nodded. “Will that be all, generals?”
“For now,” said Leia. “Commander Dameron will take you to the director, if he does not mind.”
“Fine by me, general.” Poe walked past Finn as he headed out of the command center, patting the other man on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”
As the two men departed from the room, the five generals were left alone to talk amongst themselves. Helricks was the first to speak as she turned to face Leia, folding her arms.
“So,” she said, “what is this I hear about a map to ‘the First Jedi Temple?’”
“It’s the first I’m hearing about it as well, Joma,” Leia replied. “I don’t recall my brother ever mentioning it, assuming it was he who entrusted the map with Lor San Tekka. Granted, I was never that heavily involved with his Jedi Order. He trained me, of course, and I still carry my lightsaber, though I have not used it in so long. But I was always more focused on the New Republic and its affairs, leaving him to watch over the Jedi. And after he passed, I put even more distance between myself and the Order, knowing of their affairs only through my children.”
“Do you think this kid could be making all of this up?” asked General Hawk.
“It’s possible,” Leia admitted. “But we should also be open to the possibility that he isn’t. I know it is a large risk to take, but we’re at a point where we could use any intel on the Cabal or the First Order that we can get, even if there’s a chance it may prove to be false.”
Admiral Ackbar stroked the barbels dangling from his chin. “Perhaps we should reach out to our Jedi allies on Tython. Perhaps one of their older members may know about this map.”
Leia nodded in agreement. “I will send a message to my son Jacen. He is still overseeing the restructuring of the Jedi Order, though I’m sure he would be more than willing to look into this.”
“That is good to hear,” said Admiral Statura. “Now then, shall we move on to the next item on the agenda? Regarding Operation: Tranquility?”
“Of course.” Leia gestured to Ackbar. “Admiral, if you would please….”
Tython
“Focus, Rey. Don’t let your emotions cloud your—”
The remote training droids went off before Toah Jarsan could finish speaking. His apprentice’s blue lightsaber moved in a flurry, deflecting the blaster bolts as they came. While the first few shots bounced off her blade effortlessly, one managed to braze against her shoulder, causing her to lose her stance. This allowed the other floating balls to get in their own shots, hitting her in the arm and leg. Growling in frustration, she tore off the blast shield helmet she was wearing and hurled it at one of the training remotes, knocking it out of the air. She then flung her lightsaber at the other two, slicing them neatly in half.
As the lightsaber hilt returned to her hand, Toah let out a disappointed sigh.
“That’s not exactly how a Jedi is supposed to deal with failure,” he said.
“I just can’t focus,” Rey muttered, switching off the blue blade of her saber. “There’s so much going on in the galaxy and yet here I am getting shot at by training remotes. We should be out there helping the Resistance.”
“I will admit that I had hoped that the mission to Corellia would have been beneficial for you,” Toah said. “Given you a chance to shine and learn important Jedi virtues, such as patience. Unfortunately, due to circumstances that were outside anyone’s control, I don’t think things turned out the way I had hoped they would.”
Rey huffed. “So, what? I’m stuck on Tython for good until I finish my training?”
“Not necessarily. But it may be some time before we return to the thick of things with the Resistance and their objectives.”
While she did not bother to hide the disappointment on her face, Rey did not argue or protest further and instead walked over to pick up her helmet and the remains of the training remotes. She then joined Toah as they began their journey back to the Jedi Temple grounds, navigating through the lush green forests that made up most of the planet’s landscape.
From what Toah understood, Tython was the ancestral home of the Jedi Order before abandoning it after the Force Wars and relocating to Ossus. Following the Sacking of Coruscant during the wars against the Sith Empire, the Jedi had moved back to Tython only to once again abandon the world when the Eternal Empire invaded the galaxy. The history records were rather murky on the exact details of those events — just as they were with a lot from that time period — but by the Ruusan Reformations, Tython had been rendered a barren world by violent storms and the hyperlanes that led to it had been lost.
Many mysteries surrounded the planet as it was, such as how it had managed to return to its original lush state and how its Jedi Temple had managed to survive all these millennia, allowing Jacen Solo to rediscover it around the same time as Darth Taral’s attack on Ossus. Of course, with everything else that was currently going on in the galaxy, such mysteries took low priority in being solved; so long as the Jedi Order had a safe home, Toah was content in remaining ignorant.
Upon reaching the temple grounds, Toah found several Jedi out and about; masters were teaching their students just as he had been teaching Rey, groups of Padawans were huddled together to study ancient Jedi texts, and pupil-less Knights conversed amongst themselves. All around, it was a peaceful scene, though Toah could detect a subtle, underlying feeling of dread; the attack on Ossus was still fresh in everyone’s minds and they were no doubt apprehensive of another such crisis befalling their new home. It was a sentiment he shared, though he did his best not to show it.
After passing Master Dalus Nurn and a group of students, all training with remote droids as well, Toah and Rey reached the entrance of the pyramidal Jedi Temple and ascended its front steps. They proceeded to walk down the long, expansive hallways in silence, navigating their way through the bronze-colored corridors that led to the meeting chambers of the newly restructured Jedi Council.
Ever since bringing the Order to Tython and being named Master of the Order by the Council’s surviving members, Jacen Solo had restructured the Council to seat nine members instead of the traditional twelve, which he claimed had been the structure used by the Jedi’s ancestors on Tython before the Force Wars. Each master was assigned a specific division of the Order to oversee: Masters Tionne and Cilghal oversaw the Knowledge and Healing divisions, positions they had carried over from the old structure; similarly, Kam Solusar and Kyle Katarn were assigned to oversee the Jedi Academy and Martial Arts divisions, which were akin to the duties they held on Ossus. Masters Noran Raun and Nira Maren had been entrusted with the Force Skills and Arts divisions respectively, while Master Gaaraddik was placed in charge of the Forge. Finally, the newly elevated Jedi Master Saba Sebatyne oversaw the Order’s Science division, teaching Padawans inventive ways of using the Force.
Despite the Council’s limited number of seats, it still had a rotating membership that was always in flux. Multiple masters would oversee a single division and stand in for a Councilor should one be absent or preoccupied with other masters. Toah believed Jacen had done this so as to not make the council seats something that a Jedi should ever aspire to achieve and instead simply be another one of the many duties that any fully trained Jedi could be called upon to perform. Toah saw the wisdom in this decision, aware of historic instances in which jealousy was sparked from some Jedi Masters being elevated over others, leading those who had been scorned to fall to the dark side.
As Toah and Rey entered the Council Chambers, they found three of its members sitting around the central table. Upon noticing the pair’s entry, Jacen Solo rose from his seat, with Masters Katarn and Nira Maren following suit.
“Master Jarsan, Jedi Rey,” Jacen greeted them with a nod. “How goes training?”
“It’s going,” Toah replied, deliberately vague. “Still room for improvement, as always.”
Frustration rippled from Rey through the Force, though she kept her face stoic. If any of the masters sensed it, they did not show it either.
“Of course,” Jacen said. “We were also just talking about the two of you.”
Toah raised an eyebrow. “You were?”
Kyle Katarn nodded. “We just received a message from the Resistance. They just learned from the man you met on Ord Mantell — Finn, I believe is his name — that the dark warrior you faced on Corellia is after a map leading to the First Jedi Temple. It was originally in the possession of Lor San Tekka, who claimed to have destroyed it before he was killed.”
Toah frowned. “I met Lor San Tekka not so long ago, back on Jakku. It was right before I met Rey here.”
“I was there as well,” said Jacen. “This Finn person was apparently a soldier in the new Empire that Darth Taral was trying to build. He deserted after Kylo Ren killed Lor San Tekka.”
Jacen spoke the name ‘Kylo Ren’ in a strange manner. Toah understood his awkwardness; while it was not common knowledge among the Order, Toah knew that Kylo Ren was in fact Ben Solo, the elder Solo child who went missing and presumed dead shortly before Jacen and his sister were born. Toah was not privy to how Jacen felt about this development concerning his brother, but he also knew it was none of his business.
Nira Maren picked up where Jacen left off. “This matter is particularly interesting to us because of what it implies, if Finn’s story is taken to be true. Not only the implication that a Jedi Temple was constructed on a world other than Tython, but also Lor San Tekka’s own implication that Master Skywalker knew of this and yet did not inform anyone.”
“You mean none of the older masters are aware of this?” Toah asked.
Jacen shook his head. “I’ve already asked Gaaraddik, who is the last surviving member of the Old Council. He told me that this is the first he’s heard of such a map. Even Master Katarn here and other early students of Master Skywalker know nothing of this matter.”
Rey glanced from one councilor to the other. “So, how do Master Jarsan and I come into play?” she asked.
“We are thinking about sending the two of you to Jakku to look for answers,” said Master Katarn. “While, according to Finn’s report, most of the people living in San Tekka’s village were executed by Kylo Ren and his soldiers, there is one villager that we believe to still be alive and may know more about San Tekka’s map.”
“How do you know of this villager and that they’re still alive?” asked Toah.
It was Nira Maren who answered them, a soft smile crossing her emerald face. “Because I heard from him merely a week ago. His name is Chek Urhed, an Abednedo priest who raised me back when I lived among the Church of the Force, before becoming a Jedi at Lor San Tekka’s behest.”
Toah raised an eyebrow. “I was not aware you once knew Lor San Tekka.”
“I did not know much about him,” Maren admitted. “And since I was only a child, I was not privy to any important matters that he and the other Church members concerned themselves with. But Father Chek was a leading figure of the Church and, if this report is to be believed, possibly its last surviving member.”
“I see. So, I take it you are sending us to Jakku because of our familiarity with the world — specifically Rey’s?”
“That is correct,” said Jacen. “However, you will not be traveling there alone. Master Maren here has agreed to accompany you, due to her relationship with Father Chek.”
“The Resistance is also sending operatives of their own,” said Master Katarn. “If only to help verify Finn’s account of what befell Lor San Tekka and his people.”
Toah glanced at Rey. He had been expecting her to look reluctant about returning to her homeworld, given the planet’s harsh nature and her equally harsh upbringing there. Instead, she practically beamed as she looked from the three Councilors to him.
“When do we leave?” she asked.
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