Kaller, a planet located in the Outer Rim of the galaxy, was known for its diverse ecosystems, from forests to mountains. The trees were not as immense as those found on the forest moon of Endor, but they were vast and thick.
The forest of Kaller was quiet, the insects having now exhausted their songs for the evening. The thick foliage did not allow sounds to travel far, and for that reason, they were known to be places of secret meetings and nefarious dealings. This night was no different. The major city, Plateau City, was far away; so only those who wanted to escape or hide from society frequented these woods. One could be within twenty yards from another and have no indication. It was the perfect place for a group of young Padawans planning to do what their master had forbidden.
Five of them moved through the underbrush quickly, nervous and excited. They were not more than a quarter of a mile from the open glade where they had come from, where they had left the rest of their colleagues. They were not eager to go too deeply into the woods as they knew the dangers, fearing men more than beasts.
There was no definite leader, but one was carrying a package that the others wanted to stay close to. He was a young man, but the oldest of the group, being sixteen standard years old— a ruddy headed youth who knew for tonight he was the most important because of what he carried.
The five of them whispered to each other in a not-so-subtle way, then laughed a little too loudly. Then they hushed each other and got quiet again. This pattern repeated. Occasionally one would trip, and another would cast a playful rebuke.
The brunt of most of the rebukes was the youngest, a dark-skinned boy about twelve standard years old. He was goofy and was always trying to impress the older ones with his mock bravery.
"This reminds me of back home when I was hunting a sand panther. Nasty creature," the youngest said.
"What are you talking about, Darren?" the oldest asked. "Sand panthers are desert creatures. How could you hunt one in the woods?"
"I chased one into the woods, Tanut," Darren replied.
"You? You chased a vicious, venomous animal probably twice your size out of the desert into a forest near by?" Tanut countered. The group of them climbed over some fallen trees.
The only female of the group, a dark-skinned girl with black hair braided behind her, spoke up. "Sounds like a tall tale, from a short kid." She smiled and roughed up Darren's hair.
"I'm serious, Sakiah," he replied. "I hunted it by myself—and I caught it too."
"And you ate it, I bet," Tanut roasted.
"No, I let it go," Darren replied.
"What for?" Sakiah asked.
"I just wanted to see if I could," Darren said, tripping again.
"What do you think about this, Jax?" Tanut asked.
"Huh?" Jax was a blond, freckled boy who was not paying attention but had his face planted in a handheld HoloNet device while he walked. "Whatever. Did you guys know that Plateau City's power grid can be altered so that the public lighting can strobe? I can do it from here . . ." He fidgeted with the device and then started laughing to himself.
"Anyway, I don't think you are fooling any of us, Darren," Tanut said.
"Fine, believe what you want. I know I did it," Darren replied.
"I believe you," the fifth boy spoke up. He was a dark-haired boy with a quiet countenance, about fourteen standard years old.
"Really, Ben?" Sakiah questioned.
"Yeah," Ben replied. "Why not? Darren, though he's small, has more courage than all of you put together. It was his idea to come out into the woods for this, remember. You all were scared to do it."
Ben put his hand on Darren's shoulder. Darren smiled back at Ben in the dark, although no one could see it. This was the young Ben Solo, the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, and grandson of Anakin Skywalker.
"Of course," Tanut said, "that could just mean he's just more stupid than the rest of us."
"Maybe, but I haven't ever heard of you capturing a sand panther in the woods and letting it go," Ben replied. "But I think we've come far enough. Let's get to business."
The five of them stopped as Tanut dropped his pack which made a muted thud on the dry leaves. He unclasped the top flap, opened it up, and pulled out a rounded canister with tawny-colored powder in it.
The other four looked on eagerly.
"The best spice you can find on Kaller," Tanut said proudly.
"I bet it isn't as good as the kind we have on Corellia," Darren stated.
Ben leaned in toward Darren and whispered, "You might want to tone it down, Shorts."
"What quality is it?" Sakiah asked, hiding her naivete and trying to sound knowledgeable.
"How about Gree spice?" Tanut said as he rotated the canister in his hands.
They all looked on eagerly as Tanut spooned the powder into a shallow spice burner to pass around. This procedure enamoured them all so much that they did not notice the seven dark figures approaching from within the shadowy woods. They passed the spice burner around and each took in a breath of the smoke, not imagining that they were being surrounded. A crack of a twig snapping broke the forest stillness. Ben looked up, but could not see into the woods clearly enough to make anything out. "What was that?" he asked.
At that moment, a loud, metallic buzzing noise hummed from nearby. The kids each stood up and drew their lightsabers. The spice burner fell to the detritus. They stood back to back and ignited their weapons, green and blue lightsaber blades lighting up their faces.
"Who's out there?" Sakiah called out.
A gruff voice could be heard from the woods. "Throw down your weapons."
The Padawans looked toward the direction of the voice. Darren stepped toward it; but Ben put a hand on his shoulder, cautioning him. "Come out and show yourselves," Ben called out.
A male Weequay, with short chin horns, walked out of the woods into the light of the lightsabers, the brown tough skin of his face stretching to make a grimace.
"You," Tanut said. "He's the one I bought the spice from."
"Put down your weapons," the Weequay said again.
"Never," replied Sakiah, standing tall and defiantly.
The Weequay nodded his head toward the humming noise. A light turned on to illuminate more of the woods. Another Weequay was holding up a bright powered torch with one hand, and a blaster in his other. Two other men were nearby, their faces scarred and sinister. Two female humanoids were with them, one blue with brown hair and the other pale white and bald. Each had blasters of various makes pointed at the Padawans. A green female Rodian, with large black eyes, was set a little further back with a rectangular buzzing machine resting on the ground. She knelt over it, with one hand on the top and another hand on her blaster.
"Now, we can't have you fighting us with those sabers, can we? We were ordered to take you alive. At least the pay is better if we do." The first Weequay stated then waved at the Rodian.
She pressed a button on the machine. It's buzzing noise increased its pitch and grew louder. At once the lightsabers flew out the Padawan's hands and attached to the box.
"Interesting device, don't you think?" the Weequay said. "Sucks up Kyber crystals; a little toy our employer loaned to us."
Ben reached out his hand to call his lightsaber back. Immediately all the blasters were focused on him.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," the Weequay said.
Ben lowered his hand. They were caught, and without a fight. Ben cursed under his breath.
….
The sky of Dathomir was blood red, and its desert terrain was dark and jagged. The harsh conditions of this world left only fierce and dangerous creatures capable of surviving. Even the sentient inhabitants could be vicious, most notable were Darth Maul, and Asaj Ventress, both mighty dark-side users during the Clone Wars. Most of their race had been eradicated by the Sith Lord Dooku decades ago. A few very small clans remained and were trying to rebuild in this savage land. They were an enduring, but not an invincible, people. However, those clans were far away from this place. A sharp mountain jutted from a level plateau. At its base a large cave opened, its gaping maw was dark, but not silent.
A low growl could be heard from within it, as if the mountain itself was irritated. The growl slowly grew with intensity, and a harsh rhythmic crash could be heard, as if the open cave was coughing. The rhythmic crash became louder; the growl became a roar. The dark cavern filled with a dusty cloud as if it was about to breathe fire; but instead of fire, a small figure ran through the smoke, a young man, dark-haired and in his late-twenties, Ben Solo. He had come to Dathomir after he had been carried away from the First Order by Chewbacca, not able to remain with the Resistance, his guilt preventing him. Now as he ran, he looked behind him at the pursuing behemoth hidden in the subterranean mouth.
The pounding footsteps continued. A blast of dusty wind erupted from the cave, and a horrible roar filled the air. Two great clawed hands grasped the edges of the cave, as a fifty-foot tall rancor emerged from the clouded cavern, its gnarly toothed mouth opening in another roar. He stepped out in pursuit of the fleeing Ben, his massive feet crushing the earth as he went.
Ben ran up a small mound and turned around. He stood staring at the beast, two lightsabers hooked to his waist; one his grandfather's, the other a new black handled lightsaber he had crafted within the last six months. He held out his hand to lift a three-foot diameter rock with the Force and threw it at the rancor. The rock hit it square in the head. It shook off the blow as if it were an insect, and then reached down for its own boulder to throw. In a moment, a six-foot boulder was flying toward Ben.
His eyes widened; and he ran forward down the hill toward the rancor, ducking under the incoming boulder. It bounced off of the top of the hill, smashing the summit. Ben continued to run toward the rancor and between its legs.
He grabbed his new lightsaber, leaving Anakin's hitched to his side. Igniting it, it glowed yellow against the mahogany ground. He slashed at the beast's left ankle, but its muddy hide was too thick to cause any serious damage. It only served to anger the rancor more.
The rancor lifted its lacerated foot and tried to crush Ben with it, but Ben ran close to the right leg and came out from under it.
"Come on!" He taunted the rancor. This was not an over-confident taunt; but a plea, sincere and passionate. He used the Force to cast another rock at it, to no effect.
The rancor turned to its right to follow. It swiped at Ben to scoop him up and narrowly missed.
Ben ran toward the edge of the plateau, a six-foot crack separated him from the edge. He leapt across and stood on the flat rock about ten yards deep and twenty wide. The rancor pursued him, its steps shaking the ground. The flat area that Ben stood on rumbled. The large beast stopped at the crack separating them, not that it could not step over it; but its feeble mind tried to assess the situation.
Ben took Anakin's lightsaber in his hand and ignited it. He crossed the blue and yellow blades in front of him.
"What are you waiting for!" he screamed.
The rancor stepped over to the flat slab. A crack resounded and echoed back from the nearby mountains. The beast reached for Ben with its crooked claws. Ben swung his blades cutting into one of its massive fingers, severing it. The rancor roared in anger.
Ben's face showed great pain and turmoil as if he was the one to have suffered the wound.
"Why won't you do it!" he cried out.
The beast took another step closer and picked up a rock in the other hand to crush Ben. Ben jumped to the side as the boulder came down in its claw. He sliced violently and with hatred at its hand, causing a deep charred gash. The rancor then swung its wounded hand to swipe Ben off the edge.
Ben leapt over it. His eyes beginning to glow red and yellow.
"I won't stop!" He screamed again. "I won't ever stop!"
The rancor tried again to crush Ben with its fists; but Ben moved back to the edge, almost losing his balance to avoid the blow. He jumped on the rancor's lowered hands and stabbed at its eyes with each lightsaber, blinding it.
The monster drew back in pain and fear, for all beasts know that. It fell to the ground clawing at its eyes and slamming its feet on the slab. Another splintering crack could be heard.
The red and yellow glow from his eyes vanished. Ben fell to his knees and held out his arms to his sides, the blue blade of his grandfather and his new yellow blade glowing together. Tears fell from his eyes.
"Why won't you do it! Why won't you kill me?" He fell on his face, the lightsabers blades disappearing and the rancor rolling in pain before him. A final bursting crack caused the slab to break and give way. The ground tilted to the edge and began to fall. Ben gripped the rocks as the slab slid down the side, the rancor falling down before him. There was no escaping the fall. He did not want to. Rocks, dirt, monster, and man fell over a hundred feet and collapsed in a cloud of smoke.
The rancor's mass was too much for it to survive such a fall, its body broken open by the fall. Ben, being smaller survived the fall, but barely, having been partially covered in rubble. For a moment he was motionless and breathless before he began to cough up the dirt and blood. The iron taste filled his mouth. He was ready to face death, but it had not claimed him yet. A line of blood flowed down over his face. He tried to raise himself up with his arms, but was too weak from the fall. Rocks pinned his lower back and legs to the ground.
He made an attempt at a false smile and let his body find its rest in the soil. He coughed again and winced at the pain. Then he closed his eyes.
"Ben," a voice broke the silence.
Ben did not stir.
"Ben," the voice said again.
Ben lifted his head to see who was calling him. In front of him stood a robed figure, glowing blue against the red setting.
Ben's mouth opened, blood dripping from his lip. "How . . . How can this be?"
"Ben," said the figure. "You must stop seeking death."
"Luke?" Ben muttered, and tried to raise himself again, but failed.
"You must return to Takodana, and seek Maz Kanata. She and another Jedi Master will lead you to the way you have lost."
Ben gasped, "Why?"
"You have forgotten who you are," Luke replied.
"No," Ben struggled. "Why didn't . . . you kill me?"
"Because I see my father in you."
Ben clenched his teeth and squinted his eyes in a grimace, whether from pain or despair was uncertain. He grasped the dirt in his fists and coughed up more blood, tears mixing with it. He tried with all his strength to rise again; but collapsed under the exertion, exhausted and struggling for breath. The dark red soil faded from his sight into darkness as he, starved for oxygen, lost consciousness.