We were all sitting in the cockpit except HK-O1, who was watching the prisoners and getting ready for our arrival at the designated system. The stars snapped back into pinpoints of light as the hyperdrive's lever was pulled, dropping us out of hyperspace and returning us into the blackness of space. I felt it before I saw it. There was a subtle shiver in the Force, like a cold hand suddenly touching your back, just to pull away the moment it jolts you.
"We're here," Master Ben said quietly from the pilot's chair, his voice a bit strained, probably feeling the same thing I did.
Searching for its source, I leaned forward in the co-pilot seat, eyes scanning the blackness beyond the transparisteel viewport. Vila was perched between our two chairs, one hand on the back of my seat, her lekku twitching with tension, betraying that it was not only my senses picking up on some kind of danger.
"Empty-looking system," she muttered. "No beacon, no traffic, no satellites. Dead quiet."
"Too quiet," Master Katarn murmured from behind us, arms crossed as he leaned against the bulkhead.
I didn't respond because my eyes were fixed on something in the distance. I noticed it as the faraway sun's light broke apart on the surface of something. A shadow, barely visible at first, like some hidden beast in the wild. Then the light flickered across its surface once again: long banks of hangar slits, rows of turbolaser batteries, the sharp silhouette unmistakable as it flew directly towards us, getting larger and larger by the second.
A Star Destroyer.
"Damn." Master Katarn and I said at the same time.
It loomed ahead of us, its wedge-shaped frame cutting through the emptiness with ease. By the readouts, it was a classic Imperial-II design—but something about it felt wrong. A bit... Off. The hull had been repainted, and the gray was replaced with darker, almost black plating trimmed in crimson highlights. Symbols were scrawled along the sides in ancient scripts, and as far as I was concerned, they were Sith symbols.
"I don't think we can outrun that..." I breathed, glancing at my Master, but his face was surprisingly calm.
"I feel the same way," Vila stared forward. "That... My guess is that this ship is not a standard issue."
"That's the Reborn," My Master said grimly. "It used to be the Resolute, a Remnant flagship lost three years ago near the edge of Wild Space. It was never found... Now we know why."
"Vestara took it," I muttered. "The fact she was right here, on top of us, the moment we dropped out... She felt we'd come. She's been waiting. Master?"
"I am sure of it." Ben nodded, looking at me with a smile and then at the others, "For now, I don't think we are in danger, though."
"You are lucky I am old enough to believe you, kid." Master Katarn chuckled, shaking his head, "Lead on."
"I don't like this... just for the record," Vila added with a murmur, making me look at her from the side, trying to reassure her with a smile. If my Master said it, I believe him.
Turning back to the front, I watched as the Star Destroyer's lights activated in a deliberate sequence, sweeping across the cockpit like a passing spotlight. Then, a moment later, the comms crackled on as Master accepted the incoming transmission.
"Unidentified vessel with Jedi on board," came a smooth female voice, cultured but carrying a note of amusement. And... playfulness. At least, I felt it that way. "You are trespassing in a restricted space under the domain of the Revani Order. Power down your engines and prepare to be brought aboard."
"Revani Order?" I asked as I flinched slightly. What is that? I never heard about something like that...
"That's her," Master said quietly. "I mean the voice."
"Vestara?" Master Katarn asked.
"Yeah. Revana... Reborn... It was something she mentioned to me once. Just as my Father reformed the Jedi Order, she wanted to do the same to the Sith... It seems she succeeded since I last saw her." Ben's jaw tightened, glaring at me. "Open a line."
"Yes, Master." I nodded, initiating it immediately. All of this can be explained later, but that can wait.
"Vestara. We're not here to fight."
"Of course not," she replied, tone sweet as venom. "If you were, you would have been turned to dust the moment you appeared. But I have no need for blood today. In fact... I was expecting you. Took you long enough, you know? Bring your ship aboard. I think we have much to discuss."
Then, the channel cut, and the silence that followed was thick with tension.
"Are we really doing this?" Vila asked, gulping.
"We don't have a choice," Master Katarn injected. "This is a meeting... not a battle. At least not yet. And I am curious how she knew we were coming."
"Could it be a connection with the two Sith?" Vila asked, but I just shrugged.
"If there was any like that, I didn't notice it."
"Then probably something else..." Master muttered, reaching for the controls. "It doesn't matter. For now, we are not in actual danger."
"Sure..." Vila grunted, but neither of our Masters blamed her for it.
I watched as the Reborn pivoted slightly, revealing the open, large hangar bay at its ventral side. Magnetic clamps and guiding beacons lit up, forming a clear corridor through the emptiness toward its open mouth, inviting us in. Then... a sudden shudder.
"We're being pulled in," I noted, fingers tightening on the armrests. "Tractor beam engaged. I think they got tired of waiting because we didn't move fast enough."
The ship vibrated subtly, its engines cooling as it was gently drawn forward, no longer in need to use them. As we approached, our ship was dwarfed by the sheer scale of the Star Destroyer. Hundreds of meters of armored plating stretched above and below, covered in etched lines and armored ridges, completely repaired and restored. Maybe even reinforced. It didn't look like a ship that was mishandled, that is for sure.
"I hate this," Vila whispered again, but she didn't move. Her eyes were locked on the entry point.
"You got a feeling on something?" I asked with a similarly low whisper.
"Yeah," she looked at me, grimacing, "That I don't like it..."
The only answer I could give her was a reassuring squeeze on her hand as we passed through the hangar shield and entered a cavernous chamber inside that was lit perfectly, just like on any regular Star Destroyer. Dozens of figures in dark crimson uniforms stood at attention on the walkways, none of them in actual, standard Imperial gear, yet still... similar. However, their helmets were sleeker, faces hidden behind opaque masks etched with similar symbols that were visible on the ship's plating. Even the droids I managed to survey had been altered—longer limbs, thinner frames, glowing red optics... wait... they were like.
"HK?" Vila asked, speaking my exact thoughts.
"At least, blueprint-wise." I nodded as I took a slow breath. "Now I have a guess why she knew we were coming."
"I think so, too." Master nodded, making Vila look at Master Katarn, but he just shrugged, showing he had no idea what we were talking about.
"She most likely has parts of HK. Maybe all of the rest." I explained quickly, "And because it is soaked in Dark Side energy... It isn't that hard to make the connection. Literally. Through the Force. With HK coming with us, she probably could feel it closing in... Or know even more."
"Of course she did," Katarn grunted, shaking his head. "Sometimes, I do think that the Force loves to play pranks on us. On everybody."
I had to agree, forming a small smile as our ship settled onto the hangar deck. The landing gear was locked with a soft thud, and after everything was powered down, Master Ben stood and turned to face us. He looked commanding in that moment, his face drawn and solemn.
"No one draws weapons unless they do first," he ordered. "We're not here to provoke. We're here to talk. Understood?"
With a soft sigh, Master Katarn nodded, followed by my acknowledgment, unhooking my harness. Finally... Vila simply rolled her shoulders, cracking her neck with a scowl.
"This place already stinks of Dark Side," she muttered. "I can feel it in my teeth. I am not going to feed it, Master Skywalker."
"Good." He nodded, "Kyle, go, gather HK and the prisoners... then let us go down. Leave the talking to me."
"Sure."
A few minutes later, the boarding ramp extended with a hiss, and we walked down in formation: Master Ben was in the center, Vila and I were on either side, and Master Katarn was just a step behind us with HK-O1 bringing up the rear, flanking the two Sith. To my surprise, HK was unusually quiet, though I could hear the faint whir of his targeting subroutines warming up.
The hangar itself was quiet, especially compared to how a Star Destroyer's hangar is. There were no stormtroopers, no salutes, no fanfare, just lines of masked soldiers and droids standing like statues... and... At the far end, a single figure walked forward, coming to a stop right before us.
Vestara Khai.
She wore dark robes with crimson accents and a lightsaber clipped to her belt. Her hair was tied back, and her posture was unmistakably regal and composed. Her gray, unreadable eyes flicked over our group as we stood before us... And then she smiled. Interesting... it was an honest smile. I could not detect any falsehoods within her expression.
"Ben," she said warmly. "It's been a long time."
"Not long enough," Master Katarn muttered under his breath, but both of them ignored him.
"Yes, it has been," Ben gave the slightest inclination of his head. "Vestara. You've made... quite the impression." He nodded toward the masked people and glanced around the hangar bay.
"I had a good master in your father. Even if he never would acknowledge me as a pupil. He did teach me alongside you while we were on our little... quest." She chuckled. "And even if you hide it, I know you always did appreciate flair. Come. Let's talk. I've prepared a place for you. For all of you."
"Of course. As for..." Ben said, looking towards the prisoners we brought along.
"I appreciate you returning them to me. But I knew you would... I have seen this day."
A vision? That was what I thought... But my next thought was that I would very much love to squash the smugness welling up in the two Sith walking away from us. Then, my next thought was, HK, why haven't you complained yet? And as I turned... I almost cursed out. He was nowhere to be seen. What? How? Did he have a stealth-field generator? Where the hell is he?
But I had no time to ask as Vestara gestured, and the lines of soldiers turned in perfect unison, clearing a path... and we were off.