Star Wars: Son of Skywalker | Book III: The Rise of Skywalker

Chapter IX: The Blade

Jacen walks across the tunnel, lightsaber still in hand, seeing nothing but rocky desert walls, seeming to be trapped in the middle of nowhere. The situation has gotten worse than it already was, the Knights of Ren might be affiliated with the Emperor, just what he needed. What surprised Jacen was that Kylo Ren wasn't with them, if anything, he would've charged after him the moment he sensed his presence, wether he is also with the Emperor is yet to be determined.

"...this was a mistake." Jacen sighed, he came all this way, only to escape a lightsaber duel and be trapped in an underground cave, searching endlessly for a way out. He then hears the familiar roars of a Wookiee. He quickly rushes across the cave, following the sound. He sees Poe, Finn, Chewbacca, and C-3PO fall into the cave.

"Is everyone okay?!" Asked Poe. "Finn, Chewie?"

"I'm good!" Yelled Finn from the other side of the cave.

"You didn't say my name, but I'm alright." Said C-3PO. Poe then sees Jacen, startling him.

"Where did you come from?" Poe asked.

"I was about to ask you the same thing." Said Jacen, as R2 and BB-8 fall into the cave. BB-8 got up from the sand easily, but R2 had a hard time trying to get up, Chewbacca went over to help him.

"Who was that guy?" Asked Finn.

"Someone who has a connection to the Emperor." Said Jacen. "Wait, where's Rey?" He asked, as she then fell through the sand dune.

"Found her." Said Poe. Jacen then rushed over, helping her up from the sand.

"Where are we?!" Asked Rey, brushing the sand off of her vest.

"It seems we are trapped in a cave." Said C-3PO.

"You don't say." Said Finn. R2 beeps disappointingly at 3PO.

"Is there a way out of here?" Poe asked.

"If there was, we'd be out by now." Said Jacen. Rey then ignites her lightsaber, her blade illuminating the cave. Jacen then ignites his, and Poe turns on a flashlight, both of them looked unamused.

"We have to hurry, the sooner we find this Wayfinder, the better." Said Rey, they all then follow her as they walk across the cave. Poe then throws the flashlight into the air, flipping it as he catches it. They stop, seeing two pathways, both leading to possibly different areas.

"Just what we needed." Said Poe. "Okay, looks like we'll have to split up-."

"It's this way." Said Finn, pointing at the left pathway.

"How do you know?" Asked Jacen.

"A feeling..." Said Finn, leading them down the path.

"Feeling?" Asked Jacen.

"It's a long story." Said Rey, senses a bit of battle that Jacen has went through. "Who were those creeps?"

"Knights of Ren." Said Jacen.

"Like those two guys we fought on the facility?" Asked Rey.

"Exactly." Said Jacen. "Wasn't my first encounter, unfortunately won't be the last." They keep moving until Rey senses something, she looks around a bit, and stops to find a Skeleton, with dark clothes torn to shreds exposing the bones, and cybernetics on his skull. The others stop in their tracks, shocked at the sight.

"Oh my." Said C-3PO, looking away at the sight. Jacen reaches his hand, sensing an echo through the force, seeing a familiar face being attacked by a snake like creature.

"Gentlemen...Ochi of Bestoon." Said Jacen. Rey sees an object buried under the sand. She picks up what looks like a small blade with cracked edges on one side, she senses the screams of one of it's victims, the voice was familiar.