Star Wars: The Great Awakening (Book I)

Part 3 - Chapter 13 - Finding the Past

Ever since he was a young boy, Jolis was wary when in close proximity to the Low World—even if he didn't care to admit it. The horror stories he'd heard as a child of the nightmares which dwelled in the deep chasm were likely embellished but even so, there was certainly some truth to them.

Having seen the creatures known as wereryks and surviving the encounter just before venturing into the cave many years ago, Jolis saw their horrific features and unnatural displays of power first hand.

Bursting from the depths, they tore into the invading force which—up to that point—had all but surrounded Jolis. Despite the numerous unknown alien creatures who'd pursued Jolis into the depths of the Low World, one thing they all appeared to have in common was fear. At the sight of the wereryks, their ranks were broken and their numbers quickly dwindled.

It came as no surprise then that Jolis was being extra cautious as he maneuvered through the dark and misty grounds of the Low World. Ever since exiting the cave, Jolis had been reaching out with the Force, probing the surrounding areas for signs of life.

As he had learned from the Master, all life was connected by the Force. From humans such as himself to terrifying creatures like the wereryks, they all shared a mutual connection and therefore could be sensed by one attuned to the Force.

Despite the memories of his previous journey through the Low World, this journey had been quiet thus far.

It was cold now. Sensing the chill of the cold season in the air, Jolis looked about but was unable to see any evidence, however. There was no snow covering the grounds as their typically was on the surface and the canopy of trees above him were thick enough to block out any trace of the season.

After several minutes of walking, Jolis suddenly came upon numerous small piles of old armor and weapons. Half buried by fallen leaves, Jolis cleared the debris and instantly recalled that it was the armor the invading force was wearing.

This appeared to be all that was left of the ones who'd pursued Jolis.

There were no bones of any sort or anything which resembled that of a once living creature. Just various articles of clothing, padding and the odd blaster strewn about.

Kneeling down, Jolis touched what appeared to be a breastplate of armor which had been torn in two by some unknown means. Upon contact with the armor, a disturbing vision entered Jolis' mind. He could sense the fear and horror of the creature who'd last worn this armor and the final moments of its life.

Recoiling his hand at the sudden vision, Jolis was initially shocked to have been able to see what could only be described as an echo in the Force. The memory he had witnessed had been so profound that it had left a lasting impression upon the object which Jolis was able to retrocognitively detect through the Force by simply touching it.

His mind was so overwhelmed by this ability that he was unable to detect the approaching creatures until it was too late.

The ground beneath Jolis exploded as multiple wereryks rose from the depths in a perfect ambush.

Throwing himself back at the last possible moment, Jolis had been mere inches away from losing a limb as the long and sharp claws of the wereryks swept wide and across as they reached the surface.

Rolling back onto his feet, Jolis had only a moment to assess the situation before nearly a half dozen of the jet black creatures with glowing red eyes were upon him again.

Their long limbs and wiry frames were sleek and muscular. They moved quickly and had a violent grace to their movements. Moreover, they moved as a pack and not as individuals.