The vortex loomed larger as we drew closer, dwarfing our ship in its swirling, enigmatic presence. It pulsated with waves of Force energy that rolled through the void, growing more intense with each kilometer we closed. The energy resonated deep within me, like a constant hum that I could feel in my bones.

  “I still can’t see it, Roan, but I can feel it,” Teya said, her voice filled with awe. “The Force energy at work here... it’s beyond anything I’ve ever felt before.”

  I nodded, my eyes fixed on the swirling anomaly. “It must be part of my Force ability that lets me see it. But this... this is what we were looking for. I can feel it. This is our way in.”

  A smug smile spread across Teya’s face. “I told you we’d find it,” she said, unable to resist a little gloating.

  I shrugged, unwilling to give her too much satisfaction. “We still need to find a Murakami Orchid that’ll bond with one of us. Without that bond, we won’t be able to communicate with them. And we can’t force it. The orchids rarely bond with other beings, and they die if they’re separated from their chosen partner.”

  Teya rolled her eyes. “How about having some hope or faith for once, Roan?”

  I scratched my head, feeling a little defensive. “I don’t like leaving things up to chance, Teya. It’s not that I don’t have faith—I just prefer to rely on it for things I can’t control. When I passed out, I had faith that you’d take care of everything. But when it comes to things I can handle myself, I try not to count on luck.”

  Teya tilted her head, considering my words. “I guess that makes sense. But who knows, maybe you’re some kind of heretic,” she teased, her eyes twinkling.

  I shot back, “Joke all you like, you’re still not a full Jedi either.”

  She pretended to clutch her chest, feigning injury. “You wound me, sir.”

  We both broke into laughter, the tension of our journey easing for a moment. Despite the years that had passed since we last saw each other, it felt like no time had gone by at all. A part of me wondered if she had missed me as much as I had missed her. The thought warmed me in a way I wasn’t used to.

  “Look!” Teya pointed ahead, excitement cutting through the quiet of space.

  The planet appeared through the viewport, half lush green and half shadowy grey, with vast bodies of water separating the two. As we drew closer, I noticed something else—a golden swirl of energy tracing the surface in a constant, looping pattern, forming a figure-eight across the planet.

  “Teya, can you see that golden swirl?” I asked, pointing out the strange pattern.

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  She glanced at the planet, her brow furrowing. “No, but if you can see it, it must mean something.”

  I traced the center of the figure-eight with my finger, where the energy streams converged. “Let’s head there—it feels like the right place.”

  “Alright, taking us down to Murakam,” Teya said, adjusting our course.

  I shot her a blank look. “Murakam?”

  She shrugged, grinning. “It’s the Murakami system and the orchids, right? It fits.”

  I couldn’t argue with that. “Yeah, it makes sense. Let’s land as soon as we find a clear spot.”

  As we descended through the atmosphere, the ship’s scanners swept the terrain, revealing rocky fields and dense patches of alien vegetation. Teya guided us toward a barren stretch of land—a field clear of Murakami Orchids, ensuring we wouldn’t harm any of them on landing. We didn’t want to offend the very beings we hoped to befriend.

  The ship touched down smoothly, settling onto the uneven ground with a soft thud. I couldn’t help but admire Teya’s precision—she landed the ship like she’d been piloting her whole life.

  We stepped out into the cool, dense air of the alien world, the scent of unfamiliar flora filling my lungs. I scanned the horizon through my binoculars, spotting a cluster of orchids in the distance. Their tendrils waved gently as if caught in a slow dance with the wind.

  Teya emerged beside me, her face bright with anticipation. “You see some?”

  “Yeah, that way,” I pointed, handing her the binoculars.

  She barely glanced through them before breaking into a run, excitement carrying her toward the orchids. I followed at a slower pace, chuckling at her enthusiasm. She reached the orchids and began speaking to them, her gestures animated as she tried to persuade them to respond.

  It was like watching a child speak to a wild creature, hoping to earn its trust. For a moment, I wondered if I’d be the same way, had I remained a Padawan. Maybe Teya and I weren’t so different after all.

  Elsewhere, in the shadowy depths of space, a Dathomirian female sat in her ship’s pilot seat, her hands clenched tightly around the controls. Before her, a monitor flickered, displaying the holographic form of a dark, imposing figure.

  “I know you seek vengeance, 15th Sister, but we have already taken measures. Your ship’s tracker will allow our automated units to locate the fugitives. Advanced Droideka will hunt them down, and with your stolen ship remotely deactivated, they will have no means of escape,” the figure’s voice droned, each word carrying an edge of finality.

  Retra shook her head, desperation flashing in her eyes. “Sir, that’s not—”

  “Enough! I will hear no more on this matter!” the Grand Inquisitor’s voice boomed, cutting off her protest. The channel disconnected, leaving only static in its wake.

  Bang! Retra’s metal fist slammed into the monitor, shattering the screen into shards that rained onto the floor. Her breaths came in ragged, angry bursts as she paced the cabin, her new metal hands clenching and unclenching.

  “It’s not just about the hunt,” she muttered to herself, her voice trembling with frustration. “I have to reach them before it’s too late.”

  She stopped, staring out into the darkness beyond her cockpit, her expression hardening into resolve. With a quick motion, she activated her ship’s ignition, ignoring the sparks flying from the damaged console. Her course was already set—to intercept the Droideka and reach the fugitives before the droids could execute their orders.

  As the ship roared to life, Retra whispered to herself, her voice barely audible over the hum of the engines. “I will find you, Roan... before they do.”

  The ship blasted forward, disappearing into the black void of space, following the path that led toward the Murakami system.

  "I don't see it Roan but I can feel it. The Force energy at work here is beyond comprehension," Teya praises.

  "It must be part of my Force ability that allows me to see the anomaly. This should be what we are looking for," I assure her.

  " I told you we'd find it," smirks the smug Mirialan.

  I shrug," We still need to find a Murakami Orchid that will bond to one of us. Without such a bond, we cannot communicate, and that bond cannot be forced. The orchids rarely bond themselves to other creatures like humans which makes sense because they die if separated from them after bonding."

  "How about you try having some hope or faith for once," Teya groans.

  I scratch my head," I don't like to leave things up to chance Teya. That doesn't mean I don't have faith and I don't rely on it for the things I can't control. I had faith you'd take care of everything when I passed out but when it comes to the things I can handle myself I try not to rely on it."

  "I guess that makes sense but who knows maybe you are some kind of heretic," Teya quips.

  "Enough, joke all you like you're still not a full Jedi anyways," I fire back.

  Teya pretends to grab her heart,' You wound me, sir".

  "Pfft", we both laugh in unison. Years have passed since we'd seen each other but it was like we were always together. Maybe she missed me all this time as much as I missed her?

  "Look!" Teya points at a planet coming into view.

  The planet is half green and half dark grey with several large bodies of water. On closer inspection, I can see a swirl of energy passing over the planet's surface in a constant 8 pattern.

  "Teya can you see that golden swirl there?" I ask.

  "No, but if you see it, it must mean something."

  I point at the center of the 8 where all the energy pathways cross each other," let's go there".

  "All right heading down to Murakam," Teya replies.

  I give her a blank stare," Murakam?"

  "Yeah, it's the Murakami system and orchid after all. So I think it fits," Teya explains.

  "That makes sense, let's land as soon as we find a good spot."

  Looking around as we enter the atmosphere Teya spots an empty rocky field. The field was empty of Murakami Orchids, a necessity as we wanted to befriend them and not commit a slaughter. Such an offense would likely end all positive relations.

  Teya lands the ship perfectly like she was always meant to be a pilot. Stepping out I survey our surroundings spotting Murakami Orchids in the distance. Teya steps out right after I drop my binoculars," You see some?"

  "Yeah, that way," I point.

  "Cool, let's go!" Teya cheers.

  I watch as Teya runs up to the orchids trying to convince them to speak to us. I can't help but chuckle at her almost child-like antics. Perhaps I'd be no different had I been kept as a Padawan.

  A Dathomir female sits in a ship's pilot seat. In front of her is a monitor with a dark figure.

  "I know you seek vengeance 15th sister but we have handled it. Your ship tracker will allow our automated ships full of advanced Droideka to hunt them down. The units we sent after them will destroy them within the next few hours. With your stolen ship remotely deactivated you can rest assured they won't be able to escape."

  Retra pleadingly shakes her head," Sir that's not..."

  "Enough! I will hear no more on this matter!" says the Grand Inquisitor before disconnecting the channel.

  *Bang* Retra smashes the monitor in with her new metal hands.

  The Dathomirian female struts back and forth pacing about the cabin," It's not that at all! I must make it to them before it's too late!"

  With an expression of hard resolve, Retra activates her ship's ignition. She sets a course to converge with the Droideka's destination.