As she had promised, Rey met Sujux Withross outside the palace doors before the sun rose. Even though the other couldn't see him, Ben also came with her. Having him beside her gave Rey comfort—a reassurance that she wasn't alone.

The Abednedo rambled nervously as he led her down away from the palace and into the surrounding jungles. They didn't travel far before a natural cave in the hill Myrra sat on opened before them. Long and sharp stalactites hung from the ceiling and stalagmites rose from the ground—having the appearance of jagged teeth. Rey didn't like the look of it. Ben grunting in displeasure meant he didn't like it, either.

"Are there any directions you can give me about the temple?" Rey asked.

Sujux shook his head. "Not specifics, but I'm sure the Lightsaber Crafting room you seek is below the main floor."

That's all he can offer? Find stairs leading down? Ben thought. helpful.

She ignored his comment. "What about these Uugteens? What can you tell me about them?"

"They are pale and nose-less humanoids. Writings say they are fierce fighters and extremely territorial. Oh! They also avoid the light."

Rey considered the cave entrance again, putting that information in the front of her mind. No matter how discouraging the place looked, she had no choice—she had to go in there.

"Well, I'll see you soon, Sujux." She headed for the cave.

"Do be careful," Sujux pleaded.

She looked back at him with a smile. "Don't worry; I used to delve into destroyed Imperial ships for scrap metal back home and sometimes I had to fight off Steelpeckers. I know how to watch myself."

Ben snorted. I doubt the Uugteens are small like Steelpeckers.

Probably not, but he needed to hear that I can take care of myself. Sujux is worried.

You can? Then why am I here?

She looked at him. I don't know. Why are you?

He shot her a glare out of the corner of his eye. You know damned well why.

A smile lifted her lips. I do. It's just fun irritating you.

Ben grunted.

On reaching the entrance, Rey stopped to affix the light she had brought to her staff. The small light lit the mouth of the cave well, revealing every boulder, rock formation, and loose pebble. No eyes reflected the light, but she knew the Uugteens—even though hidden at the moment—would reveal themselves sooner or later.

You're not alone, Ben said.

I know. I'm glad you're here.

She took a deep, steadying breath, then entered.

Noise was practically nonexistent in the cave. Other than the soft thud of her or Ben's boots, nothing else made a sound. No frantic scurrying of a small creature; no squeak of a bat; it seemed like nothing lived down here.

Even though her light provided a decent illumination, the darkness in the cave was quite dense. The blackness was too inky to be natural. Not being able to see very far ahead of her made Rey paranoid—she expected something to jump out at her any second.

She and Ben didn't converse much; they had already decided not to openly speak as to not draw attention to them. Voices carry in caves. Plus, they needed to remain focused; not distracted by conversation.

Every now and then, though, Ben would say something—usually cheeky like Oh, look. Another rock. He did it to subtly remind her that she wasn't as alone as it appeared. It eased her as well.

How sweet of him.

Rey kept her eyes peeled for movement, ears open for sounds, and her mind clear. If something happened, her instincts would probably warn her before those senses saw or heard anything. But it was always better to be alert than relaxed during situations like this.

They had walked a good thirty minutes before the dark opening before her seemed to have expanded into even denser blackness. Fresher air hit her, meaning a large space. She stepped through and raised her staff for a better look.

Wow. She almost said it out loud.

The Jedi Temple, Ben announced.

Set in the middle of the expansive cavity was a Jedi Temple of black stone. Other than the razor-sharp lines and points, the walls also held a chiseled look, like they had been cut and hammered into shape from the very walls surrounding it. Even with its odd design, it fit in perfectly, being an underground structure. It was a marvel.

She continued to admire the temple as she and Ben approached the tall front doors.

If I was an Uugteen, I would be residing within. Ben looked at her. Be ready.

Rey shook her head to refocus on her goal and to remember to be on the lookout for danger. She dimmed the light on her staff, then used the Force to open one of the double doors. Since he could neither be seen nor hurt, Ben poked his head in to check everything out. He motioned it clear, so she followed him.

Whatever this lobby had been for—perhaps just a showcase of the Jedi's power—it was now a ruin from being ransacked. Enormous statues lay broken on the floor; pillars had been knocked over; once vibrant tapestries and flags had faded, shredded, or had been burned. Rey's heart ached at seeing the state of decay and abandonment. In its prime, the room must've been awe-inspiring and a little bit intimidating.

She and Ben cautiously maneuvered through the rubble, careful not to kick a piece of debris as they delved deeper into the seemingly endless lobby, looking for stairs leading down.

Those stairs lead up, Ben announced when they approached their third stairwell; he sighed. Next.

After ten minutes of poking around, they finally found a set of stairs heading down. Descending the steps, they found themselves in a corridor with closed doors on either side—some intact, others hanging on the hinges or completely gone. Those rooms with the missing doors had a pillar broken through the walls, exposing everything. Some walls had gaping holes from a powerful force; nothing lay by the holes to be blamed, so Rey figured some Force-user had done that destruction.

Rey stopped in the middle of the hallway, sensing something. Not a warning of impending danger, but of power. It pulled on her soul. Ben had stopped too.

I feel the Force, she began. It's calling me.

I feel it, too, Ben said. Follow it. I bet it'll lead you to the Lightsaber Crafting room.

She did as he suggested, following the tugging on her heart until it grew strongest at a closed but intact door. Goose bumps had risen on her arms, and she felt jittery—a lot of power and the Force resided behind the door. She looked at Ben and he nodded; like their entrance, Rey moved away from the opening so she couldn't be seen, used the Force to open the door, and Ben looked in.

Once he waved an 'all clear', Rey moved into the room and looked around. The Lightsaber Crafting room was exactly as the name implied: tables with stools, chairs, cabinets, and all storage closes. This room hadn't been spared from the pillaging either—tables and stools were flipped, some chairs broken, drawers in the cabinets ripped out of their slots and storage closets open, empty.

Seeing the destruction finally made Rey consider that the trip could be for nothing. When Sujux told her about the possibility of finding materials, she didn't want to think about the chance that there wouldn't be anything to find. She had been so hopeful and looked forward to crafting her own lightsaber... but now it looked like she wouldn't be able to.

Don't give up so soon, Ben said. Look around. There has to be something here. I still feel power. Don't you?

She did.

Straightening up, Rey walked around the room, checking each drawer for anything overlooked or left behind; Ben did the same. She found broken pieces of hilts and dust of shattered Khyber crystals.

Fallen behind a tipped-over storage cabinet, Rey picked up an intact-looking hilt. But it was unlike Master Luke's or even Ben's—it looked like the lightsaber could come out of both ends.

She turned to the other person in the room. Ben?

He walked over and took the hilt in his hands, admiring it. After a while, he said, It's a double-bladed lightsaber. It'll be like your staff.

That sounds perfect for me. Rey took it back from him.

Now for a Khyber crystal to put in it. She stored it in the satchel she had brought and resumed her search. After a few minutes of looking and not having any luck, Rey closed her eyes to meditate on the Force, asking it to lead her.

Feeling it respond, she opened her eyes to have her gaze drawn straight to an overturned drawer. Power practically radiated from it. She walked to it, squatted, and flipped it over to reveal a purple Khyber crystal.

Purple, Ben commented, looking over her shoulder. A blend of blue and red. Good color for a Gray Jedi.

A sense pressed down on her almost to where it was almost smothering. Danger.

"Get out," that male voice she hadn't put a name or face to yet said.

We need to go, Ben said.

Rey slipped the Khyber crystal into its own compartment in her satchel—so it wouldn't get damaged—snatched her staff and rushed out of the room with Ben.

They hurried out of the Jedi Temple, walking fast but not running to keep from making noise. When they reached the lobby, the silence couldn't be ignored. Everything was too still. Apprehension thickened the air.

I have a bad feeling about this, Ben said.

He had just spoken the words when a sense made her duck and something shot over her, silent other than the air being cut through.

Terrifying hollers echoed throughout the enormous lobby. The war cries bouncing off the walls made it impossible to pinpoint where the Uugteens were. Now hearing the hard blow of air through a blowgun and the speeding darts, Rey pushed the Force outward to deflect the missiles.

The sound of Ben's lightsaber igniting sounded and a red glow illuminated the room even further.

"Go!" Ben yelled. There was no point speaking in each other's mind now—his lightsaber just floated in the air, but the sight of it meant she wasn't alone.

Rey took off for the temple's entrance. She stored her staff on her back and pulled out her blaster; the light on her staff gave her enough to see by. A figure stepped into the light radiating around her and she shot the pale Uugteen before it could charge her with its spear. Cries of pain sounded behind her as Ben's lightsaber hummed.

Hearing more blows of air, Rey threw a hand out before her to raise the fallen pillars to shield her on both sides. The darts clinked as they hit the stone pillars; with no more bouncing off, Rey pushed the columns away, shooting them to the sides. Uugteens screamed as they were crushed.

She continued to fire her blaster, duck under darts, or use the Force to throw pillars or statues into the Uugeens as she ran for the exit. Lightning buzzed and popped as Ben shot the voltage—a line streaked past her to electrify an enemy. Using the Force, Rey flung open the temple doors and ran out; the crimson glow meant Ben was right behind her.

"Use the Force to increase your speed!" Ben ordered.

Doing as he said, the dark walls of the cave became blurry as Rey's run turned blazingly fast. The red glow kept up with her, so Ben had done the same thing.

When the cave lightened with the outside light and the cave's exit came into view, they slowed down. Their trip into the cave had taken thirty minutes; their exit took five. All sounds of the attacking Uugteens had faded behind them.

"Do you think they gave up?" Rey panted.

Ben opened his mouth to speak when he suddenly pulled her down—sensing the danger at the same time she had. Darts sped over them—coming from the direction of the entrance—and war cries sounded again. This group of Uugteens had waited on them.

"No," Ben answered.

Rey turned her blaster on the ones she saw, and Ben shot out Force Lightning. Once they began to clear a path, the Uugteens ran to hide behind boulders and stalagmites and blew darts at them. Growling, Ben charged after them, viciously striking them down. With the help of the Force, he shot from one to the other like he teleported.

"Run, Rey," that voice said. "Ben can't get hurt; you can."

Listening to the voice, she ran for the cave's exit, jumping over the bodies. Uugteens continued to cry out in pain as Ben sliced through them. Most of the cries turned to howls of rage as she was seen escaping, and heavy footfalls pounded behind her in pursuit. Without looking behind her, Rey used the Force to lift sizable rocks before her and threw them backward. Loud thuds sounded as the rocks collided into the Uugteens.

The lush jungles outside became clearer the closer Rey neared the exit. She broke multiple stalactites and stalagmites and threw them behind her like sharp spears. Getting into the light, she looked back to see Ben running after her and many bodies lying in his wake. Some Uugteens had been impaled by the spears she had thrown or were crushed under boulders. But they still chased her.

"They may fear the light, but their darts can still reach you!" Ben yelled. "Don't stop!"

To back up his words, Rey sensed danger and raised a hand to halt a dart in front of her. She turned it around, sent it shooting back, then turned to continue running.

She emerged out of the dark cave but kept going. Sujux stood right where she and Ben had left him. He watched her escape as he wrung his hands.

The frantic sounds of pursuit gradually faded behind her. Rey looked to see Ben still running, but no Uugteens had followed them out. He had sheathed his lightsaber. She slowed her run as she realized that there was no more need.

She smiled at Ben when he stopped beside her. Knowing Sujux could hear, she spoke to his mind. We did it.

He looked back at the cave. You would be dead if I hadn't come.

Are you suggesting I thank you for saving my life?

Suggesting? Ben repeated as he turned back to her. I was stating a fact.

Well, you didn't have to say it like that. Rey turned to head for the Abednedo. But thank you.

As Rey smiled at Sujux and opened her mouth to tell him the good news, weakness suddenly washed over her. Nausea and dizziness assaulted her next, along with the increase of heat and brightness. She felt weightless for a moment.

Rey!

Eventually, the dark, blurry blot over her cleared to a worried Ben. Another blot appeared opposite him. She fought to focus on Sujux leaning over her too. His mouth moved, but she couldn't understand him.

Rey, you've been poisoned! Tell him! Ben said.

Her mouth opened and closed, but Rey couldn't tell if the sounds she made congealed into actual words. She heard an unintelligible mumble, then the other blur disappeared.

He's gone to get help. Stay with me, Rey.

Stay with me...

Stay...