Disclaimer: I am not Rick Riordan or George Lucas.
Enter Ben, Tahiri, and Jag, on Bastion.
Ben. [aside] I wish I wasn't so good. Really, sometimes it's just embarrassing. If I didn't have such an eye for mechanical stuff, we might never have found the secret chute, gotten lost in the underground, and been attacked by war droids. But I just couldn't help myself. Part of it was Tahiri's fault. For a girl with super underground senses, she isn't much good on Bastion. She keeps leading us around and around the city, getting dizzy, and doubling back.
Tahiri. Sorry. It's just . . . there's so much underground here, so many layers, it's overwhelming. Like standing in the middle of an orchestra and trying to concentrate on a single instrument. I'm going deaf.
As a result, Tahiri ends up leading Ben and Jag on the scenic route of Bastion.
I never thought I'd get to see Bastion. When I was alive, I mean the first time, Odion was in charge. We were at war.
Ben. [to Tahiri] Odion? Didn't he share coordinates with Daiman?
Tahiri. [frowns] Share coordinates?
Ben. Never mind.
Tahiri. I'd love to see the Fountain of Ancients.
Ben. There's a fountain on every block.
Tahiri. Or the Shawken Spire.
Ben. Why would you come to Bastion to see a spire from Shawken? That's like going to Corellia for Tatooinian food, isn't it?
Tahiri. You're hopeless.
Ben. So I've been told.
Tahiri turns to Jag and takes his hand.
Tahiri. Come on. I think we should go this way.
Jag smiles with bemused gratitude at Ben.
The three finally stop outside the Temple of the Ancients, embroidered with the name Theron Shan.
Ben. Theron? Mando'a for "they're on."
Tahiri. This is our best bet. There should be a secret passage somewhere inside.
Noticing several tour groups milling about, Ben listens in to a Tatooinian tour guide.
Guide. [in Huttese] This is the Temple of the Ancients. It was originally built by Theron Shan as a temple to the Je'daii. After it burned down, Emperor Fillorean rebuilt it, and it's been standing for two millennia. It's one of the best-preserved Imperial buildings in the galaxy.
Ben. [to Jag and Tahiri, in Basic] This is the Temple of the Ancients. It was originally built by Theron Shan as a temple to the Je'daii. After it burned down, Emperor Fillorean rebuilt it, and it's been standing for two thousand years. It's one of the best-preserved Imperial buildings in the galaxy.
Jag and Tahiri stare at him.
Tahiri. How did you know that?
Ben. I'm naturally brilliant.
Jag. Bantha fodder. He eavesdropped on a tour group.
Ben. [grins] Maybe. Come on. Let's go find that secret passage. I hope this place has air conditioning.
Ben, Tahiri, and Jag enter the Temple of the Ancients.
[aside] This place is phenomenal. I'm no architect like Mara, but I can appreciate the engineering. The Imperials made the dome out of big stone panels, but they hollowed out each panel in a square-within-square pattern. It looks lubed. I figure it also makes the dome lighter and easier to support. I'd mention this to Tahiri and Jag, but I doubt they'll care. If Mara were here, she would spend the whole day talking about it. Thinking about that makes me wonder how she'd doing on her Mark of Ashla expedition. I never thought I'd feel this way, but I'm worried about that scary redhead.
Tahiri steps into the middle of the room.
Tahiri. This is amazing. In the old days, the children of Scut would come here in secret to consecrate demigod weapons. This is where Mandalorian iron was enchanted.
Ben. [to Tahiri] But we're not here because of that.
Tahiri. No. There's an entrance, a tunnel that will lead us toward Kyp. I can sense it close by. I'm not sure where.
Jag. If this building is two thousand years old, it makes sense there could be some kind of secret passage left over from the Imperial Period.
Ben heads over to a nearby shrine, the tomb of Ves Volette.
Ben. Over there. The passage is around here. This guy's final resting place is in the way. Ves Volette?
Tahiri. Famous painter, I think.
Ben shrugs, then turns back to the shrine, unsure how to access the passage.
Ben. Should I try to produce a stick of baradium from my utility belt? No, I'd better not; the caretakers of this place probably wouldn't approve. [to Tahiri and Jag] Hold on . . .
Ben glances around to ensure they are not being overheard. Amidst the crowd of tour guides stands their Vagaari adversaries Bearsh, Estosh, and Purpsh. Though he has a flare of danger sense when he looks at them, Ben does not yet suspect their true identities.
[aside] Forget them.
Ben takes a look at the lock on the shrine.
O! Not very elegant, but effective.
Jag. What is?
Ben. The combination for a lock.
Ben feels the back of the tomb and locates the lock.
The lock face itself has been ripped out . . . probably vandalized sometime in the last few centuries. But I should be able to control the mechanism inside, if I can. . . .
Ben places his hand on the lock, composed of Adegan crystal, and urges the gears to move. After a moment, the entrance to the hidden passage unseals.
Ben examines the entrance, noting its size.
Imperials must have been small. [glances at Jag] You'll need to change into something thinner to get through here.
Tahiri. That's not nice.
Ben. What? Just saying . . .
Jag. Don't worry about it. We should go get the others before we explore. That's what Danni said.
Ben. They're halfway across the city. Besides, er, I'm not sure I can close this hatch again. The gears are pretty old.
Jag. Great. How do we know it's safe down there?
Tahiri kneels and places her palm on the passage.
Tahiri. There's nothing alive…at least not for several meters. The tunnel slants down, then levels out and goes south, more or less. I don't sense any traps. . . .
Ben. How can you tell all that?
Tahiri. [shrugs] Same way you can pick locks on marble columns, I guess. I'm glad you're not into robbing banks.
Ben. Oh, bank vaults. Never thought about that.
Tahiri. Forget I said anything. [sighs] Look, it's not fifteen hundred yet. We can at least do a little exploring, try to pinpoint Kyp's location before we contact the others. You two stay here until I call for you. I want to check things out, make sure the tunnel is structurally sound. I'll be able to tell more once I'm underground.
Jag. [scowls] We can't let you go by yourself. You could get hurt.
Tahiri. Jag. I can take care of myself. Underground is my specialty. It's safest for all of us if I go first.
Ben. Unless Jag wants to turn into a vrelt . . . or a Kowakian monkey-lizard. Those things are astral.
Jag. Shut up.
Ben. Or a strill.
Jag jabs a finger at Ben.
Jag. Skywalker. I swear . . .
Tahiri. Both of you, be quiet. I'll be back soon. Give me ten minutes. If you don't hear from me by then . . . Never mind. I'll be fine. Just try not to kill each other while I'm down there.
Exit Tahiri, scurrying down the underground passage.
As he and Jag wait beside Volette's tomb, attempting to appear nonchalant, Ben's attention is frequently drawn toward Bearsh, Estosh, and Pursh, who continue to make him uneasy.
Jag. She talked to me earlier. Tahiri told me you figured out about my lifeline.
Ben stirs, returning to look back at Jag.
Ben. Your lifeline . . . er, the burning stick. Right. Look, man. It's lubed. I'd never do anything to put you in danger. We're on the same team.
Jag fiddles with his general rank insignia.
Jag. I always knew fire could kill me. But since my grandmother's mansion burned down on Nirauan . . . it seems a lot more real.
Ben. [nods] Your grandmother . . . Did she die in that fire? You didn't say.
Jag. I—I don't know. She was sick, and pretty old. She said she would die in her own time, in her own way. But I think she made it out of the fire. I saw this hawk-bat flying up from the flames.
Ben. So your whole family has the shapeshifting thing?
Jag. I guess. My mother did. Grandmother thought that's what got her killed on Talus, in the war. Mother tried to help some of her comrades, and . . . I don't know exactly what happened. There was a firebomb.
Ben winces with sympathy.
Ben. So we both lost our moms to fire.
Ben then launches into the story of the night at his mother's workshop when Abeloth appeared to him, and his mother died.
Jag. I never like it when beings tell me, Sorry about your mother.
Ben. It never feels genuine.
Jag. But I'm sorry about your mother.
Ben. Thanks.
The Vagaari gradually begin to approach.
Jag. Back in the Braxant sector, the goddess Tionne told me I have more power than most demigods, being a son of Yammosk, plus having the shapeshifting ability from my mother's side. She said that's why my life is tied to a burning stick. It's such a huge weakness that it kind of balances things out.
Ben's thoughts are unconsciously drawn to Yun-Harla and the Quay toy she gave him. He shakes his head, wishing to pluck that memory from his mind.
Ben. We've all got weaknesses. Me, for instance. I'm tragically funny and good-looking.
Jag. [snorts] You might have weaknesses. But your life doesn't depend on a piece of firewood.
Ben. No. I wonder . . .
Ben trails off as he notices that the Vagaari are walking directly toward him and Jag.
Er, Jag? Has it been ten minutes yet?
Jag follows Ben's gaze to the Vagaari.
Bearsh. Ben Skywalker. We meet again.
Jag jumps back.
Jag. Vagaari!
Ben. They can't fit down the hole.
Jag. Right. Underground is sounding really good.
Jag morphs into a crystal snake and slithers down the passage. Ben immediately follows suit. The Vagaari are left to do nothing but stand there and shout after them.
Vagaari. Skywalker. Kill Skywalker.
Exit all.