Chapter 3: The Reckoning
Maz climbed to her feet. Dazed, she looked around, a void. An outstretched darkness, going on forever, swallowing her up, trapping her till she found what she was looking for. What was she looking for? Was there anything to find in this empty dimension? Maz started walking, unsure in which direction, not that it mattered. Maz walked and walked, losing track of time, direction and reality. But she knew this place, this… void.
A steady ring protruded and stopped Maz in her tracks. It's volume increasing and increasing, Maz jumped back falling back on the solid, dark ground. Maz breathed hard, escaping short breaths, as fear overwhelmed her, realization flooded her brain… Mundo.
Maz woke up drenched in sweat, the memory still sweet. The visit to that void, the one fateful day. Maz walked down to the basement and slid into a rusty room illuminated by the natural light that shone through the windows. Intricate paintings lined the walls, while pottery, jewelry and other ancient artifacts crowded the room around her, almost as old as Maz herself.
The door slid shut, and Maz sat down on the cold stone floor, she closed her eyes, searching deep inside of the castle's soul, finding the feeling and focusing on it. She collected pieces of memory from the castle. Anything anyone's ever said or thought flew towards her, burying her in knowledge and perception, looking for the feeling, the ring, the knowing.
Maz ventured through the galaxy within the confines of her head, looking for a familiar face, her thoughts swirled around her like some fish would do if you got too close to it on Takodana's lakes.
Focus, Maz though. Her vision spinned and traveled to a musty planet, it's bright glow shining all kinds of browns. Focus, Maz thought. Her vision zoomed to the musty planet's surface, it's outstretched mountains slithering around the planet, a barren heat that Maz could feel, almost like she was there. The desert plains stretched for miles and miles, wrapping around the whole circumference of the planet, vast as it was, Maz found beauty in it, the peacefulness of the overwhelming mountains, or the small rivers that found a way to survive. Maz could find beauty in every living thing under the roof of the universe. Maz controlled this little universe of hers, it's ever so complicated geography, finally Maz saw the universe in full perspective, its complexity as foreign as the names of stars to Maz. A whole new point of view but still Maz needed to find answers.
Maz focused, yet again, but this time, really soaking into her environment, feeling. Sure enough the familiar ring caught Maz's attention and slowly, Maz warped to a familiar face, Ludrik, talking to Hondo Onaka, conversing over a name, not one she could hear very well…
"Ahh, my friend, Maz sent you? I must assist you, come inside, I'll get you a drink." Typical, pirate, Hondo, Maz always had to mother him around on trips and jobs.
"No thanks, I just had a drink a few parsecs back." Ludrik replied.
"So you must be thirsty then! Hondo urged.
"I mean a strong drink." Ludrik assured.
"So we can't get you water, eh? Hondo asked with a hint of sarcasm.
"Oh fine." Ludrik found no point in resisting a drink of water from the pirate Hondo Onaka.
"Good, good, we'll talk in here." Hondo gestured to the bar.
The pair walked into the bar and took a seat at the bar counter. Hondo pointed at an R5 unit, an interesting droid at that. The rustbucket had teeth painted on its front, with a blaster mounted on the top of it's head. Not the craziest droid Ludriks ever seen considering the fact that he is a pirate and smuggler too.
"R5-P8, go fetch this man some water." The weequay turned back towards Ludrik, "you're looking for an important man, that's for sure, but unfortunately wherever you got your info from that your guy is in this system is false, in fact he hardly has a planet to call home since Alderran got blown to bits. Someone like that is on a hidden planet." Hondo paused. "He probably is in hiding. Heck! He's probably as hidden as us at this point, probably even in a better spot. My friend, he stopped by not too long ago, he looked like he was on the run, he might even be dead by now. He has the whole empire after him, I'm telling ya, he is important. Poor man didn't even get to meet my crew, come to think of it."
"Where and how do I find the planet?" Ludrik said irritatedly.
"That my friend, equals credits. Nice, fat, juicy profits!"
Ludrik sighed and slid some credits across the counter, just before R5 came returning with the drinks. "500."
"700." Hondo countered.
"Fine." Again, Ludrik didn't need to be losing more time.
"Ahh, my friend now we can talk. Hondo chuckled. "I've known several jedi, and rebels, and are pretty predictable, your friend is going to be in the Outer Rim, said he was preparing for vast desert plains, that sounds like a familiar planet to me. Ryloth."
"And what makes you like a rebel?"
"Their sense of profit of course!"
"Of course. So I head to Ryloth." Ludrik clarified.
"Correct."
"And if you're wrong?"
"When have I ever been wrong?"
Ludrik concealed an insult knowing that at this point, time is of the essence. According to Maz, Hondo Onaka was so far what she described him as, charismatic, annoying, and a real pain in the exhaust port.
Ludrik thanked Hondo and started to head back to his ship.
"And one more thing my friend." Hondo paused. "You're not looking for some old politician." Hondo stopped. "You're looking for the face of the rebellion." Hondo admitted, grinning like an idiot.
Ludrik looked back amid his walk, he took it in, and walked towards the setting suns.
Maz was confused, not of her ability to be there but not be there, but of Ludrik, he changed, once a bold pirate only caring about the credits, to a rebel? Maz hated the empire, and wished it would collapse on itself, but getting involved was something she had never thought about. Was there even a chance? Maz stayed out of the conflict as long as she realized her gift. Maz knew what it was, but never said it aloud, too dangerous. She had gotten used to it, it was second nature. She had learned to trust it, and let it guide her. Another being inside herself, a whisper. Maz set her thoughts aside and opened her eyes, there she sat back in her little room, surrounded by old objects that felt special to her, Maz knew what she had to do to help Ludrik.
Maz walked down the basement hallway, holding out her hand, having her fingers graze the stone, as dust collected on her fingers, she lifted her hands off, and steered into another room. The room was much darker than the one with her possessions, but there layed a single chest one with a silver latch, glimmering. Slowly Maz opened the chest, which held a single silver lightsaber, the ancient weapon of the jedi. Maz picked it up, and illuminated it's blue blade. She swung it around, trying to get a feel for it. After she was given it, she gave it a try, but now it felt right. She realized that she was not ready to join the rebellion, but contribute to its movement, and doing so by helping Ludrik find none other than Bail Organa.