Star Wars: Apprentice of the Jedi

Descent

In the quiet sanctuary of Lor San Tekka's dwelling on Ilthoria, the night settled in. Lor, troubled by the events that transpired with Luke earlier that day, found comfort at his old desk.

Seated in the soft glow of candlelight, Lor examined the data device Luke had entrusted to him. His brow furrowed with curiosity as he pondered the mysteries it held. R2 stood nearby, its lights flickering intermittently.

Lor, feeling a connection with the astromech droid, rose from his desk and knelt beside R2. "What is it, my little friend?" he inquired, yet received no response. The usually chatty droid remained silent and unresponsive. Suddenly, after a few flickers, the droid's lights dimmed and powered down.

Lor could feel the astromech's sorrow after it had witnessed the destruction and chaos firsthand. He placed a comforting hand on the droid's dome, trying to offer what little comfort he could.

As the night deepened, casting long shadows across the dwelling, Lor turned to his writing. The scratch of pen against paper echoed in the quiet room as he documented the events of the day. The dim candlelight painted dancing shadows on the walls.

Pausing from his writing, Lor glanced over at R2-D2, still seemingly dormant.

As the night on Ilthoria unfolded, Lor found sleep elusive.

His mind swirled with countless thoughts. Restless hours passed until dawn's gentle light cast its glow on the horizon.

When Lor rose from his troubled slumber, his gaze fell upon R2, who remained unmoving in the same place. Concern etched lines on Lor's face as he contemplated the inexplicable silence of the astromech droid.

With resolve, Lor decided that he must tell Leia what had happened to her brother and son.

He carefully brought the droid aboard his vessel, and the ship soared into the morning sky of Ilthoria.

Once beyond the planet's atmosphere, Lor activated a holographic communicator, reaching out to an old friend, Del Meeko. The blue-tinted hologram materialized, revealing Del's familiar face.

"Greetings, Lor. It's been a while," Del acknowledged with a nod.

Lor wasted no time. "Del, I need your help. I've got R2-D2 here, and I need to take him to Senator Organa. Do you know where she is?"

Del, puzzled but obliging, responded, "Senator Organa recently arrived on D'Qar. Why? Is there a problem?"

Lor hesitated briefly before deciding to disclose the truth. "I'll explain when I meet you on your ship."

"Sending our coordinates now."

Coordinates for the Corvis were received, and Lor's ship swiftly jumped into hyperspace.

Soon after, Lor San Tekka arrived in the Corvis' hangar. Del welcomed him, directed one of his crewmates to carefully extract R2 from Lor's ship, and led Lor to a more private area.

"Lor, what's going on?" Del asked with a furrowed brow.

Lor sighed heavily. "Skywalker... he's gone away," he confessed.

"Alone? Where did he go?"

Lor shook his head. "I don't know. But before he left, he told me what had happened."

Del's brows furrowed in concern as he leaned forward, eager to hear more. "What happened? What did he say?"

Lor took a deep breath, steeling himself to relay the grim tale. "He said that Ben... Ben Solo turned against him," he began. "He destroyed the temple, Del. Everything. It's gone."