The first thing I heard as I came to was the chime of a medical droid. My vision cleared, revealing the familiar mechanical arm extending from the wall beside me. It was our ship’s medical droid, a D1k unit, and I recognized its model immediately. The D1k series had a certain... reputation. The droid was a fixture in med bays, directly linked to the main computer, offering medical expertise with the charm of a war drill sergeant.

  A genius engineer with advanced medical knowledge had programmed the D1k series, and if there was one thing he lacked, it was humility. He had modeled the droid’s personality after his own, leaving the D1k series with a well-deserved nickname among spacers: “Serious Dick.”

  The droid’s sensors scanned me, and its voice crackled through the speaker with a cutting tone. “Child, I am programmed to inform you that you are not injured or ill. I am surprised your gender is male, as your physique is frail, resembling that of females.”

  I rolled my eyes, more annoyed than surprised. “I passed out from using the Force and overexerting myself.”

  “An unproven religious belief backed only by superstition. No data supports this so-called ‘exertion.’ Do not lie to your physicians,” D1k replied dismissively, with the arrogance of someone who knew they were smarter than everyone else.

  I let out a frustrated breath and levitated several small objects around the room, holding them above my open palm. “Then what’s this, oh great diagnostician?”

  The droid paused, its sensors clicking as it analyzed the display. “… Insufficient data. I will give a diagnosis once the analysis is complete. You may leave.”

  I gave a half-hearted shrug as I slid off the stretcher, wincing at the lingering ache in my arm. “Whatever,” I muttered, heading for the door.

  As I left the med bay and made my way toward the flight deck, I couldn’t help but smirk to myself. For all its bluster, even D1k didn’t have an answer for everything.

  I stepped onto the flight deck, where Teya was still seated in the pilot’s chair, focused on the starry expanse outside. She spun around when she heard me, a relieved smile spreading across her face. “Glad to see you awake, Roan.”

  I sank into the seat beside her, my expression more serious. “Yeah, I’m glad we’re still alive. But as you can see, my lack of power is still a problem. It’s holding us back, Teya.”

  She reached over, giving my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “We’ll figure something out, Roan. You’ve already done more than I could have imagined.”

  I nodded, but my thoughts drifted back to the hazy figure from my dream. His words played over and over in my mind, vague but promising a path forward. I couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to what he had said—more to discover if I had the courage to seek it out. But who was he? What was he? Even the most powerful Jedi and Sith rarely had the ability to enter dreams, and those who did often lingered as Force ghosts.

  Teya’s voice snapped me out of my reverie, her brow furrowing with concern. “Roan? You okay?”

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  I shook my head, forcing myself back to the present. “Yeah, just... thinking. Where are we going next?”

  There was a pause, a hesitation that I didn’t miss. “Teya, where are you taking us?”

  She mumbled something under her breath, barely audible. “Murakami System.”

  “What?!” I bolted upright, the name hitting me like a punch. “That’s in the M-11 grid, right next to Coruscant and Dathomir. Are you out of your mind?”

  She sighed, turning back to the controls. “Look, even though we know what quadrant it’s in, no one’s been able to map the Murakami System accurately. Only those sensitive to the Force can find their way through, which means it’s the perfect place to hide from the Empire. The only danger is from the Sith and their Inquisitors.”

  I stared at her, incredulous. “Why go there at all? It’s just a place full of sentient plants that use the Force to communicate.”

  “Long-lived sentient plants who have mastered the Force for longer than most beings can imagine,” she countered. “If we’re lucky, we might learn abilities that have been lost to both Jedi and other Force users alike.”

  “Or we could end up captured, tortured, or dead from this reckless plan. We should’ve headed for the outskirts, somewhere far from Imperial territory,” I snapped, raising my voice. Frustration bubbled to the surface, fueled by the anxiety of not knowing what dangers lay ahead.

  Teya’s jaw tightened, but she didn’t back down. “The most dangerous part is already over, Roan. You were asleep for days, and we’re already in grid M-11. All that’s left is finding the Murakami System.”

  I ran my hands over my face, feeling the tension in my shoulders. “Great. What’s done is done, but this was a rash decision made without me. Just like when you attacked Retra—I had the situation handled, but you jumped in before even knowing how to use that lightsaber properly.”

  Teya winced, looking down at the lightsaber clipped to her belt. “I know... I’ve been impulsive, Roan. I’ve acted like I’m in charge when that’s not true. You’ve kept us alive, and I owe you for that.”

  I sighed, letting my frustration ebb. “You’re right, Teya. But that lightsaber you’ve got isn’t just any weapon. It’s equipped with a high-grade focal lens system that lets you adjust the blade’s length, power, and compactness. At max strength, it can almost destabilize another lightsaber. Right now, you’ve got it set to conserve energy.”

  Teya took out her lightsaber, igniting the blade and examining the small upper buttons I had pointed out. As she adjusted them, the blade extended to nearly double its length, then compacted to a thin, focused line like the fabled Darksaber. The purple glow deepened into a dark amethyst hue that seemed to absorb the light around it.

  She looked at me, a mixture of awe and regret in her eyes. “I’m sorry, Roan. I’ve been reckless... and I’ve been taking you for granted.”

  I managed a small smile. “Apology accepted. But let’s focus on what’s in front of us.”

  Just then, the ship’s sensors pinged, and a strange sight filled the viewport—a swirling black vortex with a golden light at its center, like a whirlpool in the fabric of space itself. I could feel the Force radiating from it, intense and layered, as if many Force users were working together to maintain it.

  I stared, my mind racing with theories. “What... what is that?” I whispered, feeling a shiver run down my spine. “It’s like a sealed-off space, hidden with some kind of Force illusion.”

  Teya glanced at the instruments, confusion etched on her face. “What are you talking about, Roan? I don’t see anything.”

  I looked back at her, realizing that whatever I was seeing, she couldn’t perceive it. The vortex pulsed, the golden light at its center flickering like a heartbeat. As I focused on it, the same sense of interconnectedness I had felt in the turret returned, guiding my senses.

  “I think... I think I know how to find the way in,” I said, more to myself than to Teya. The path was hidden, but the Force was showing me a way through, a thread that led into the heart of the unknown.

  Teya’s eyes widened, a glimmer of hope mingling with fear. “Then let’s do it, Roan. Together.”

  I nodded, my hands tightening on the controls as the ship drifted toward the anomaly. The golden light drew closer, and with it, the pull of the Force deepened, like a current dragging us into uncharted waters.

  Whatever lay beyond, I knew one thing for certain—there was no turning back now.

  The hazy figure from my dream flashes through my thoughts. He said something to the same effect and vague hints of what actions I should take. Who is he? What is he? I don't mean species but that even Jedi and Sith rarely possess the power to enter dreams and some of them that do are Force Ghosts.

  What if it's a sealed-off space with a singular entry point hidden using force illusion? I theorize. An educated guess that would explain how such a well-known place remains such a mystery.