Star Wars Jedi Knight IV: Sith Empire

Chapter 28: Nexus

"Welcome, Lord Hoth. Welcome to the grave and darkness from which none will ever emerge."

―Skere Kaan

Ben stepped cautiously ahead, his senses on heightened alert. It was partially from the nervous energy that came with stealing an X-Wing from the New Republic, and partially because he didn't know what dangers could be lurking on the planet Ruusan. He didn't bother keeping his blaster in hand.

Han on the other hand, who was walking side by side with him, was also on high alert with his blaster drawn.

"You realize if there's anything out here drawn by the Valley that wants us dead, that blaster isn't going to do anything right?" Ben asked.

Han shrugged as he scanned the top ridge of the valley for humanoid silhouettes. "Blasting things makes me feel better."

All around them were large statues of what Ben could only assume were ancient Jedi Knights and Masters of varying sizes, some were over 100 meters tall. Some cropped up out of the ground, some seemed embedded in the side of the valley, and some were on the surface. A high-pitched hum was audible, almost like that of a singing bowl he had seen some Jedi use during meditation. Everything around conveyed a sense of immense energy.

The tone got louder as they approached, then seemed to split off from the main source of the noise, and turn into a different high-pitched whine as it passed them. Ben's head perked up immediately. Ships approaching.

"Twenty credits says they're with the Republic," Ben quipped and he picked up the pace.

"I hope so," Han replied, his mind immediately going to the Sith. "The alternative ends a lot worse for us."

As they both broke out in a sprint for the nexus, the sun was blotted out by a ship overhead and the valley was filled by the deafening scream of X-Wing engines. One set down behind them where Ben and Han's stolen X-Wings were, but another roared over their heads and set down near the nexus itself where it had room to land ahead of them to cut them off.

The two closed in quickly on the X-Wing ahead of them. The pilot quickly hopped out, sticking out like a sore thumb with his bright orange jumpsuit. He drew a blaster pistol and squeezed off a shot above their heads. "Hold it right there!"

Han and Ben stopped where they were. "Split." Ben whispered as he drew his blaster. Han nodded in agreement and started walking to the nose of the vessel, Ben strode to the rear.

The pilot was initially confused. "Stop or I will shoot!" He exclaimed as the two circled around him, switching between aiming his single blaster at one of them at a time.

Ben smirked. His blaster was trained on the pilot, but he brought the muzzle to his temple instead, and started backing up towards the nexus. "What if I shoot first? What then smoothbrain?"

The pilot whipped around from aiming his blaster at Han, and seemingly opened his mouth to say something, but stopped. Ben kept backing up. He was only several meters from the nexus now.

A sharp click echoed in the valley, like a switch being flipped. The pilot's face changed from shock to a smirk. Ben picked up on what was going on as he saw the pilot's finger depress the trigger. Ben dropped to the hard, parched ground as a stun bolt whizzed above his head and struck the stone-hewn mound that emitted the nexus.

Ben scrambled to get up as another stun bolt hit the dirt where he was lying. The distinctive sound of Han's DL-44 went off, followed by a wail.

"Go, kid!" Han exclaimed as he squeezed off another shot in the direction of the other pilot. "I got this!"

Ben leaped up and darted for the nexus. He could hear more shots being fired behind him. He hopped up onto the mound and let himself be pulled into the stream of power.

He seemed embraced by the warm glow, and once more he felt the Force flow through him. But it was different than when he could wield the Force. He felt less like a Force-wielder, and more like a conduit for something else.

Faintly he could hear Han's voice. But something caught his eye. It was a small, bright orb. It seemed to resemble a large soap bubble, except it seemed to emit it's own light. Semi-consciously, he reached out to it to touch it.

But the instant before his finger could make contact with the orb, Ben was blinded with light. It wasn't the same kind of light as a sun, the warmth was different. And although it was blinding, the light didn't hurt his eyes.

When the light faded enough that he could start to see other things again, he noticed a humanoid form standing before him, seemingly standing on air. Ben couldn't be sure if he was hallucinating or not. He recoiled his hand in surprise.

As the light continued to fade after a few seconds, Ben could start to see the features of this being. It's face was stoic, emotionless, and unmoving, like a mask. It's eyes were white white spots of light in what looked like an otherwise empty socket, and the surface of the being's face radiated light. It had a slender body, and wore dark brown robes not unlike those of various Force-using traditions he'd seen.

The eyes of this being reminded him of Abeloth's, and he reached a leg backwards to take a step away. But he was floating on the aura with the being, and had nothing to help propel himself away.

"Who are you?" Ben asked. "What are you?"

"Don't be afraid, young Skywalker," the being said in an echoing female voice. "I am merely a servant of the Force. What is it you seek in this place?"

Ben's mouth went dry as he tried to conjure up a lie. But this being seemed to have a very strong connection with the Force. A lie simply wouldn't suffice. "My family is in danger, and I've been cut off from the Force. I need my powers back to correct a mistake I made and stop more damage from being done."

The Servant was silent for a moment. "I sense much darkness in you, darkness that clouds the mind. There is much that has been done that is not the will of the Force. You, young Skywalker, will restore balance."

"I'm not gonna argue that the Force is pretty unbalanced right now," Ben quipped.

"The last One must die, the One that was not indented to be," The Servant extended a thin gray hand to Ben. "You require the Dagger of Mortis. Come, I will take you to it."

Ben hesitated. He couldn't sense any malevolence in the being, but that wasn't to say there was none either. He also wasn't sure this was an offer he could refuse. "Alright," Ben said at last after taking a deep breath, grabbing the almost withered hand. "Let's go."

Before he could realize what was happening, he felt pulled through a portal. He could hear a muted shout from Han, but he kept his eyes forward into the black oblivion ahead.