Accismus⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.• Anakin Skywalker⋆౨ৎ˚⟡.•

36.

Just like Sol had suspected, the ledge made of rock that looked out onto the ocean was bare. There was no sheer, blue Force ghost waiting up there to make the journey easy for her. Once she was able to pull herself up to the ledge, she turned to the waves that had picked up with the dimming of the day. Her over robe provided little warmth no matter how tight she pulled it around herself, and her hair was a mess behind her. She wished for one of the heating packs that the clones had packed, but knew it couldn't be helped. She had nothing but her utility belt that held a water pouch, her lightsaber, and a spare commlink if hers were to break.

Turning away from the surrounding water, Sol looked to the side of the mountain. Its walls stretched further back from the ledge, looking as if it was made to be a flat space of land. But instead of continuous rock and greenery covering the mountain wall, there was an opening. Like a cave, the inside of the mountain was hollow and from where Sol stood, she could see that it led into the rock of the island.

This would have been the vital opportunity to test whether Sol's commlink connection had improved. She could inform Anakin or connect with R2 about what she had found, and where they could find her. But it slipped her mind, as the Force ghost that stood in the mouth of the cave was all that took the Jedi Knight's attention.

'Don't you dare move, Solaris! We'll come get you. Don't go in that cave!' she could hear Anakin's voice already. She couldn't just stand and wait for the team to arrive. The Force ghost was in sight and Sol was dying to get a closer look at who they were.

The glowing figure retreated into the opening of the cave and grew small as it walked into its dim tunnel. Sol took her lightsaber from her belt and looked into the Force, looking for any hints of danger that would come with entering the cave. But when she found nothing but a strong rush of the Force coming from within, she ignited her weapon to act as a torch, before she walked into the mouth of the cave.

Bathed in cyan, Sol was grateful for the walls that blocked out the cold winds. It was dark and quiet, and the tunnel that Sol had thought would stretch into the mountain ended earlier than expected. Instead of stopping with a dead end, the cave opened into a large cavern.

In the shape of a circle, the cave held a clearing that was void of protruding boulders or crevices in the floor. A collection of mosaic pieces clustered in the middle beneath Sol's feet, showing a figure with their legs crossed and it's eyes closed. In the hands of this figure, was a sword, held up to separate either side of the figure's body. A Jedi, Sol thought to herself. One that shows balance with the Force.

Sol was in awe. She remembered Master Obi-wan's interest in Ahch-To's connection to the first Jedi Order. It was said that the Jedi were formed somewhere on the planet, and its connection to the Force was particularly strong because of this. But the current Order had never investigated the temple that was said to be on the planet, but at the sight of the mosaic on the floor, Sol was sure that she was now standing in the first Jedi Temple.

She was looking to the top of the cavern when a flicker of light made her look down. Her saber was no longer the only source of light in the cave as the Force ghost made its first, clear appearance.

In a long robe that skimmed the floor, a woman stood with her shoulders and body covered. With a black ponytail at the nape of her neck and with two of her bangs wrapped with beads, the woman's icy eyes stared back at Sol. Her lips were dark, almost an almond brown, and her stare appeared menacing, but Sol didn't feel afraid.

'Who are you...' Sol mumbled, half hoping that the ghostly woman wouldn't hear. The Force was encasing her, rubbing at her arms as if to comfort her. If it wasn't for this, Sol would feel uneasy in front of the woman in the middle of the cavern.