DYAD'S PROMISE: Clouded Agreements of the Most Divine

Chapter 54

Closing her eyes Rey walked out to the hot planet. Its atmosphere was closing in on her the moment she stepped foot on the blackened ground. There was a pull she felt was familiar.

"You said Vader built his castle here." Rey looked to Hux beside her. Luke was on the other side serious in his stance.

Hux nodded. "It is there." he pointed to the ruins that surrounded them with a crumbling tower made more so from the Holocron that exploded nearly killing Kylo.

She frowned. The rubble seemed older, and long destroyed besides the tower. Not as recent as thirty-some years before.

Rose stood back. "We are going to... you know...check the wiring on the Falcon," she said as it sparked all over her from a rough landing. She looked unsure she could fix it which was a common enough state for the old ship.

Finn looked unsure but decided to hang back.

Rose still looked irritable but smiled at Finn who seemed to have somehow earned her softer expressions once again in his direction.

"You all go on. I suppose you don't need us," he said looking to Rose.

Luke scoffed. "Got that right." then looked to Rey and felt a little ashamed at his rude comment and cleared his throat. "You seem to have enough to handle here." he shifted his belt around his robes uncomfortable. He was still unused to being around people.

"You be careful Rey," Finn said and looked to BB-8 who carried copies of memory chips from R2D2 and C3PO. The droid was very useful and graciously lent to them by Poe.

"You going to go?" Finn asked the droid.

Rey shook her head. "BB-8 should help Rose. While you need to practice levitating those tools." she pointed.

Finn pouted. "You know I can't seem to move metal. Cant it be just some piece of wood. Wood is easier!" he said as they wandered from the Falcon.

"He blew on the stick," Luke commented under his breath.

Rey smiled and shook her head. "He can do it," she said having faith in her friend. He seemed to manage impossible enough feats accidentally. He had the force.

"He is distracted. Not a prime mentality to train under." Luke said as they followed the path and looked for anyone that may jump out from the heaps of crumbling volcanic rock.

Rey nodded. "Weren't you as well?" she asked. "I think you just don't enjoy being a teacher."

Luke nodded. "I suppose you are right. It's not like I have had luck at it." he looked to Hux who eyed both of them nervously. Gagged and entirely an outlier in the conversation.

They walked silently both on guard for some time. It was strange they both could sense danger but it never manifested.

"So...Hux, what has digging revealed about this place?" Luke asked.

Rey sighed. "It was once a vibrant and lush planet. But something happened thousands of years ago," she said. "Why don't you tell us, Hux," she suggested trying to be more friendly with him.

He looked to the two of them nervously his hands in binders and a tracking collar placed on his neck tightly.

"It's a pathetic love story," he mumbled. Rey knew the man had known little to no love in his life so she found his comment quite depressing.

Rey smiled slightly to lighten his mood. "I like those, why don't you tell us."

Hux sighed as if he would rather be back in that dark hole than here on Mustafar talking about romance.

"There were natives of Mustafar, they had an old...thing. A relic of sorts. Well, I don't know what it was but they called it Bright Star. It was worshiped..." he commented as both force wielders turned to listen.

He straightened trying not to seem so frightened.

"Then there were very strong force users Lord and Lady Corvax that lived here in peace with the Native people, but kept to themselves.." he said with an eye roll. "But then there were invaders and Lord Corvax came to the planets defense and was cut down. The woman, weak and broken stole the relic, or what-ever it was from the Mustafarians...Something about the relic stabilized the planet between the two gas Giants Jestefad and Lefrani." he pointed to the two large dots in the sky. Whatever it was made this planet a garden and Lady Corvax believed it would bring her dead husband back. Instead, she made this planet uninhabitable for thousands of years. Only about two hundred years ago did the surface begin to cool and minerals able to be mined here."

Rey went to a tree and marveled at its black trunk and went to touch it.

"And the ruins?" she asked.

Hux nodded. "Vaders crumbling castle," he smirked. "Vader was obsessed with obtaining the relic. I don't know what happened here. It is unrecorded."

Rey frowned. "Where is the relic?" she asked.

Hux shrugged. "I don't know. I just know Vader had a rediculous time looking for it."

Rey closed her eyes and listened to her heart, letting it lead her hand in hand with the force.

Turning she looked away opposite the ruins there was an outcropping of rocks.

Rey's eyes cast over to Luke and both their eyes traveled there as if pulled.

"It is the Dark side..." Luke whispered. "Like on Ach-Too and Degeba."

Rey nodded. "I need to go inside," she swallowed and her hand instinctively went to her belly wishing to protect the poor life that had to follow its danger chasing mother but Leia told her to have courage.

"You don't have to go," he said wanting to protect her from the horrors she would face there. Even on the island, he did not wish her to go.

Rey nodded and there were fear and reluctance her eyes. "I do." she winced and went forward. She knew what it was. She could remember standing at the wall window with Kylo's arms wrapped around her. Something called to her down there on the surface but she did not know what and it frightened her.

Like now. It was the same feeling only Kylo was not holding her. His thick arms molded to her offering her stability and a sense of safety she was now bereft of.

He was not there. All her fears compounded as she stepped closer to this dark void. She did not know what she would see. Would he come to her? Would he sense the danger? He had all but severed the bond. The link was weak and thin now from how often she tugged and it remained unanswered. Was she losing him?

The fear drummed in her head as she prepared to enter the dark and she closed her eyes and thought of the light. She was bringing the light with her to show her the way. Her heart was that light.

With a deep breath, she entered the cave.