Episode X Dark Hunter

Epilogue

The backroom of Maz Kanata's watering hole on Takodana was surprisingly dry and well cared for, considering that the rest of the establishment was kept by a Kowakian monkey-lizard. Maz, however, was sure to oversee the custodial duties of this one place, since this backroom was the meeting place for the quarterly assembly of the Jedi sub-council; a distinct group of the Jedi Order, established in response to Ben Solo's and Maz Kanata's separation from the Force. The sub-council consisted of Maz Kanata and Ben Solo (what the Jedi called Force Voids), and two Force-sensitives.

The establishment of the sub-council, however, was not a unanimous decision. The democratic vote came to four against five. Rey and the reborn Yoda sided with Maz and Ben. Kanan Jarrus was the elder of the majority vote. His age was chronologically eighty-seven, although biologically he was only sixty-seven, having been frozen in carbonite for twenty years. Kanan's granddaughter, whose name was Jaden, Ezra Bridger, and the remaining other two all followed Kanan's lead. Thus, the sub-council of Jedi Force-Voids was established and the backroom of Maz Kanata's watering hole was maintained with an ambivalent spirit.

The room was round and light-filled, a large open skylight lighting the room. A gold three-meter diameter circle marked the epicenter of the room, and four crimson padded stools rested at the four corners of the compass.

On three sat a member of the Jedi sub-council, cross-legged, straight-backed, and arms at rest. Ben Solo sat on the west opposite Maz's empty stool, and Jaden Syndulla and Rey sat on the north and south. They sat in silence, waiting for Maz, who was finishing business with an angry bounty hunter up front beyond their view.

"You tell him he owes me three hundred thousand for the ship he stole from me," the female bounty hunter exclaimed. Without seeing her face behind the black Mandalorian helmet, her tone conveyed all the emotion needed. "And if he wants his lightsabers back, it'll be another thirty apiece."

Maz nodded calmly in assent but said nothing.

The bounty hunter seemed uncomfortable as if Maz had said something with her eyes that had convicted her brash demeanor.
"And since he did save my life, I'll repay that by not huntin' him down. Though, if I ever see him again, and he doesn't have my money, I'll kill him. You tell him that!"

"I will," Maz again complied.

"The last thing he needs in another Fett at odds with another Solo." The bounty hunter slammed twenty credits on the bar.

"You want a double whiskey then?" Maz asked.

"No, not for me. A round for those clones. I owe them." With that, the bounty hunter stormed out of the establishment, stepping over a stunned Besalisk at the front door.

Maz slid the twenty chip to the Kowakian monkey-lizard. "Here Gram, fill Dot and Spark's drinks again, complements of Dark Star."

She then retreated to the sub-council room, and quietly took her seat across from Ben.

Jaden raised her gaze to Maz and huffed impatiently, "Is there a problem?"

"Nothing that cannot be appeased," Maz replied as if unaffected by Jaden's loaded question.

Rey changed the subject in order to avoid a forthcoming tension. "We begin then as you had informed us, Ben, that Arkania was building a Navy. That it had already manufactured a dozen capital ships and numerous fighters."

Ben nodded. "Yes, I have witnessed them in production."

"My grandfather and the High Council will be interested to know of this," Jaden replied. "But that does not explain what you were doing on the planet."

Ben looked to Maz, but she looked forward intentionally not making eye contact with him.

"An Acolyte sect had stolen Darth Irata's--Rey's old starfighter, and I was investigating it further," he said not giving more information than was necessary.

Rey's eyebrows raised and she appeared surprised to discover this information. Her mouth opened slightly.

"And why was that of interest to you," Jaden inquired, leaning in further.

"It was one of many Force artifacts that this particular sect had been acquiring."

Rey rubbed her chin in thought before asking her first question. "Many religious sects seek artifacts. Why is this different?"

Maz answered this time. "We're not sure yet, and I cannot explain it, except to say that there was something different this time."

"As a Force-Void you should be reluctant to follow such whims, Master Kanata," Jaden instructed not even considering that Maz was her elder by over nine hundred years.

"What was different?" Rey pursued, trying again to avoid the tension.

"The bounty hunter that sought the ship . . . she was," Maz paused for a moment. "She was pristine of the Force."

Rey's face fell in sympathetic embarrassment. Jaden straightened up and her shoulders tensed.

"Another Void? How can you be so sure?" Jaden asked.

"I am sure because she--" she paused again and looked directly at Ben, "--hears the Whispers." Her eyebrows raised in a pleading gesture.

Jaden appeared shocked. "The Whispers? How do you know that?" It was a rhetorical question that the "High Jedi" had raised before. Jaden did not expect an answer, but an answer came.

"Because, I heard them, too," Ben said flatly, fully aware of what this would bring about. "They are not Jedi ghosts."

Rey darted her attention from Maz to him. Her eyes were wide as if to ask, "Why did you say that?"

"You mean you heard your own thoughts like we all can hear our own thoughts," Rey asked, trying to give Ben a way out.

"No, Rey," Ben replied. "I hear them, like Maz, and like this bounty hunter."

"These Whispers. . ." Jaden said and then interrupted herself. "This council will not devolve into whims of delusion. We must speak of things we know, that which is concrete. As the High Jedi of this council, this council is closed and we shall report to the superiors your findings."

Jaden stood, somewhat flustered and exited without another word. Rey also rose but stepped closer to the still seated Ben and Maz. "I wish you hadn't said that Ben. Things are going to change."

Ben nodded. "Goodbye, Rey." It was a final statement, hard and cold.

She turned, looked back, and reluctantly left.

After half a minute, Ben leaned forward and massaged his temples. "They're never going to believe us, Maz."

Maz did not respond right away but squinted her wrinkled eyes, and took a few short breaths.

"You and I have much work to do," she finally stated with resolution. "The galaxy is balancing on the edge of a knife, and a time is coming when I fear the fate of the galaxy will rest on the shoulders of the Force Pristine. Rest assured, Ben, the Jedi, will believe us. I just hope it's not too late."

To be continued in   Episode X The Jedi Rift.