Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“This is it for me. I’m in love.” Lexa said over the com.

Her declaration drew laughter from a few of the other fighters in her training squad flying along side her in tight formation. They had spent the last hour weaving through the course she created to test their maneuverability and so far, these ships were living up to her rigid expectations.

“Once the Republic finds out how much you have improved these ships, they’ll keep you busy redesigning the rest of the fleet. You’ll be lucky to sit in these ships again.” came a teasing comment from one of her squad.

“Then I might just have to fly to the outer rim and keep’er all to myself.” Lexa suggested as she proudly swept her hand over the curved metal rim of the dash that reflected the star of the system. ‘Even catches the sun the way I thought it would’.

Lexa always loved testing out the new craft designs of the Republic. She could push a machine to it’s very limit and always explain in detail to the engineers what could improve speed, maneuverability and often, comfort. If a pilot was going to sit in one of these things for hours, Lexa asserted they ought to be comfortable.

“You’ve outdone yourself, Commander. These will definitely definitely deal a blow to the separatists. They won’t know what hit’em!” agreed Captain Jurdain.

These A-Wings are new prototypes being built for the war in an attempt to launch quick-strike missions to take out various installations that were important to the separatists. If this test flight was any indication, they would certainly do the job. That was, when they could get the hyper drives operating properly. It was the only blemish on what she considered to be the most proficient ship in the war. Of course, that might be because she had a hand in designing them.

“Message coming in from Coruscant, Commander.” Captain Jurdain stated.

Lexa glanced at the communications panel on the left of her cockpit and it didn’t show evidence a message had been sent. The blue bulb wasn’t lighting up and she added another issue to the list of small issues with the fighter that could get ironed out once they made it back to the ship yard in the system. Flipping the switch below the light, she only heard static.

“My com must be down. What did the message say?”

“Just … Just a second Commander.”

“C-1, Try to get the long-range going.” Lexa requested.

After a second, a few whistles came through her headset as her droid informed her that there was nothing wrong with her com.

“Then why didn’t I get…”

Lexa could feel a shift, as if the cold of space somehow invaded the cockpit of her ship and siphoned the air from her lungs. Her mind became sluggish and and she had to concentrate in order to do the simple task of filling her lungs with air. Thanks to her training and her enhanced ability to recover the abnormal movement of her squad caught her eye. She studied her scanners which now showed her squad pulling out of formation into an aggressive position alongside her.

“You are breaking formation. Explain yourself, Captain.”

Nothing came over he headset and Lexa and for a moment, she considered that the com had completely crapped out and now she was running silent but C-1 had assured her that the communications of the ship were working. Realizing the formation her squad was taking behind her, she tried the radio again. When her words only found silence, the warning system lit up.

“C-1, what’s going on out there? What do you mean they are targeting us?” Lexa questioned, wondering what was going on but coming up with absolutely no answers.

“Damn it!” She cursed, seeing the flash of a red bulb on her dash that she had two ships with target locks on her. “The hell is going on, Captain?” Lexa was starting to get frustrated. She could sense that something wasn’t right, but it was as if a blanket had been thrown over her eyes. All she could feel was fear coupled with anger. So much anger.

Lexa punched it, throwing the lever to the right of her seat down and twisting the controls so the ship veered a hard right turn. The flash of blue turbo lasers sailing through her last position indicated she anticipated what was to come correctly.

“Stop your shooting and power down your ship, Captain.” she ordered over the radio, her eye on the scanners showing that the four other ships in her squad were now flying behind her in a pursuit formation.

“Cease your attack or I will return fire.” It came out more of a plea than a threat. It wasn’t the reply she was hoping for but it came as a volley of lasers flew past her ship which had been swerving in and out of their targeting systems.

Lexa growled, slamming on her thrust break and watching the four ships launch past her. “Don’t make me do this.”

They all immediately followed her lead, adding spins which allowed them to reposition and fly back at her and continuing their barrage of laser fire.

“I guess it’s time to see how this thing really handles.”

Lexa accelerated hard again, ignoring the alarm from the ships system telling her that if she continued to hammer on the engines so hard it could red-line. It was also the first time in a long time she’d heard such animated chirping from her astromech who had been trying to figure out what was happening.

“Yeah, I know. Just make sure we keep flying. I want to disable their ships, not destroy them.”

Lexa’s A-wing swung side-to-side avoiding the blue beams and landed two shots of her own, then vaulted past them. She was attempting to separate them from formation and work through them one by one. Unfortunately, it wasn’t working nearly as well as she’d hoped.

“Your tricks won’t work, Commander. We trained with the best.” Jurdain’s voice came through her headset.

“Captain. Why are you firing on me?”

“That’s classified, Commander.”

Two shots struck the body of her ship and caused her to correct her angle to avoid being hit again. Her ship turned upward and veered to the left, narrowly escaping the next volley.

“This is treason, Captain. Stand down. Now.” Lexa could feel their initial change, but now all she could feel was anger emanating from her squad.

The lack of reply led her to switch off the channel they were speaking on. She had to focus. They’d managed to hit her twice but thanks to the extra armor on their prototypes, it would take much more than that to disable her ship. These ships were made to pack a serious punch which meant they also had to be able to take one. The only problem she faced is that the other ships had the same armour and it would be very difficult for her to disable the other craft without being destroyed beforehand. These pilots she had chosen specifically for their ability to fly and she knew the odds weren’t in her favour.

“If we had a working hyper-drive, we could just jump out of here. Next time I decide to create and test a prototype without one, remind me to not to do it so far from civilization.”

The reply from the droid startled her.

“What do you mean it is installed but not operational. They weren’t supposed to be installed for another month. I don’t have a switch up here or a navigational computer to plot a course.”

Lexa frowned at the information the droid gave her, looking down at her console. No nav computer nor hyper-drive controls.

“C-1, figure something out and get it going. They’ve engaged their beacons so we need a way to get out of here and back to Coruscant. Hopefully then I can get some answers.”

After getting confirmation C-1 would work out their hyper-drive problem, Lexa focused back on her own. Two more hits on her port side had her clenching tightly on her control, then releasing it. ‘One at a time.’ she thought.

Jurdain was right. They knew almost everything she did about piloting these ships. They knew optimal thrust for turns and spins, what angles they best manipulated to try to get an edge, and although she wanted to become frustrated, she pushed beyond. She could sense their frustration and knew it was a matter of time before an opportunity would present itself.

At least, she hoped it would. She’d taken numerous hits and only managed a few of her own. They flew a tight formation and it made it nearly impossible to find a way to return fire without exposing herself to their barrage the moment she engaged.

“Six more incoming. We need to get out of here, C-1.”

Six ships appeared in front her out of hyper-space and her hands released her controls for a moment, pushing buttons on her scanners.

“This can’t be right. C-1, when did TIE fighters get hyper-drive engines?”

Her droid didn’t have an answer to give her. Lexa was flying straight in their direction and she couldn’t understand why but she sensed nothing from the ships that were coming at her. It was as if it everything she was able to sense a moment ago had been cloaked in a blanket. Switching on her communications, she signaled the oncoming ships.

“This is Commander Lexa Woods. Incoming TIE fighters, I am under attack by four rogue craft. Please assist.”

As they got closer, Lexa could see the design of one of these craft weren’t a standard TIE fighter. This model had bent wings and were moving faster than any TIE she had ever seen. She continued to swerve, avoiding the attacks from behind her craft trying to decide what her next course of action should be. She couldn’t shake it.

“Commander Woods, power down your ship and surrender.”

“On whose authority?” She questioned, feeling a shiver run through her body.

“By authority of the Emperor.”

“Emperor? What Emperor?” Lexa was confused, but then she felt it. The blanket had been lifted and it hit her all at once. Pain and fear. Death. It was all around her now and nausea that accompanied it worked it’s way into her stomach so quickly, she had to fight against the urge to throw up. For a moment, anger filled her mind - so much anger it frightened her. She recalled her training and began to fight back against the darkness.

“You would be of great value in service to the Empire. Do not make me destroy you.” The tone of the voice and the certainty that was reflected in his words sent a chill down Lexa’s spine. She prided herself as being one of the top two or three pilots in the galaxy and this newcomer put a fear in her she had not felt before.

Had Lexa doubted the extensive training that she had received at the Jedi Temple, or the guidance of her Master, Akun Mhas, she might have succumbed to whatever mind trick the pilot of the TIE fighter was attempting. She believed in the Jedi, their mission, and the light within and responded by pushing against the torrent of darkness. She fought back and restored the tranquility in her mind that the Jedi can call upon in times of need.

“Very well.” the voice said, “The time of the Jedi has passed and you too will die.”

The lights in the ship lit up and alarms began rang out that she’d been targeted. C-1 could be heard frantically beeping a warning that proton torpedoes had been launched from the vessels directly ahead.

“I know!” Lexa grunted, turning the controls as hard as she could to try to avoid the impact.

It was too late to avoid being hit, but she’d managed to avoid one of the torpedoes and maneuvered enough to stop the second from hitting the body of the ship. Instead, she directed the brunt the impact on the cannon turret mounted beneath the craft. As these were prototype craft the Republic had been considering and like the hyper-drive they were a work in progress.

“There is no escape, Jedi.”

The cold feeling returned, amplified by the voice that was now taunting her.

Lexa flipped off her com and began to flip switches on her console. “C-1. Get that hyper-drive going or we aren’t going to last very long.”

C-1 replied it was doing all it could, and suggested something along the lines of keeping them both operational until it could complete it’s task.

“I’ll do my part, you do yours.” Lexa stated her terms.

She spent the next several minutes avoiding enemy fire, realizing that she had barely been able to keep her former squad from destroying her ship. With the arrival of the new TIE fighter and the almost unnatural ability of its pilot to counter all of her maneuvers, no matter how much long could try to run she understood it was just a matter of time. They reversed her game and were now waiting for her to make a mistake. One that inevitably gets her killed.

“I’m going to head for the asteroid belt, hopefully we can stay alive long enough for you to get the hyper-drive going.”

The droid beeped and whistled in response.

“Where are we going to go? Coruscant. I need to warn Grand-master Yoda and the council and tell them that whoever is piloting that ship is a threat to the Jedi order.”

Lexa dipped the A-wing to the right and watched one of the bright red torpedoes fly past her ship and toward the asteroid belt she was trying to reach. The only concern about reaching the rock field was whether or not those new TIE fighters would catch up to her before then. Her left hand turned a dial and flipped a few switches downward.

“Aft shield is as good as it’s going to get so at least we don’t have to worry about the lasers.”

The droid beeped a happy sequence of tones.

“I’m glad the long-range com is working, but I’d prefer you focus on the hyper-drive.” After a couple more melodic beeps, Lexa’s face revealed frustration at her droids news. “What do you mean we were being jammed?”

On her console, a light blue indicator lit up. She removed her glove and pressed her hand on the pad below it and the automated voice in the craft filled her ears and a hologram appeared above the centre console.

“Priority one message incoming from Coruscant. Please confirm Jedi rank and name.”

“This is Jedi master, Lexa Woods. Confirm. Play Message.” The wording of the security message was peculiar in that it asked for her rank within the Jedi order, not in the Republic army as it normally should.

Lexa lifted her hand after feeling a light sting of a small metal syringe that popped up from the centre of the pad. She turned her hand over and could see a small round dot of blood being to pool and she flipped the visor up on her helmet to sniff for the smell of a toxin while she sensed for anything in her blood. She leaned back and relaxed slightly when she was certain everything appeared normal.

“Confirmed. Jedi Master, Lexa Woods.”

On the console above the navigation control, a small hologram of Jedi master Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared, sporting his familiar long brown cloak covering a white layer beneath it and his arms crossed in front of him.

“This is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to report that both our Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen. With the dark shadow of the Empire rising to take their place. This message is a warning and a reminder for any surviving Jedi. Trust in the force. Do not return to the temple, that time has passed. And our future, is uncertain. We will each be challenged, our trust, our faith, our friendships. But we must persevere. In time, a new hope will emerge. May the force be with you.”

The hologram vanished and sadness washed over her.

‘If the order is gone, what will we do?’

Lexa’s mind had wandered too far to hear the alarms ring out from her scanners, including those of her droid warning her about the torpedo that had locked on to her craft.

‘What do I do?’

Were it not for C-1, Lexa wouldn’t have had a chance to answer that question. Abandoning the hyper-drive repair, he assumed control of the small ship, spinning it in circles and inputting commands to eject the armor from the ship all the while urgently trying to pull his owner from whatever daydream she had become consumed by.

When the torpedo impacted one of the heavy planks of metal armor that had just been released a few feet from the ship the space lit up with an explosion, sending pieces of metal in every direction and sending the pair tumbling into the asteroid field. The jolt woke Lexa and she glanced around at the controls which had all been powered down. Flipping all the buttons did nothing to help. They’d been disabled.

“C-1, can we get the power back on?” Lexa had to shout it because the radio was also no longer functioning. The whistles and the beeps were quiet, but she could make them out.

“You can’t shut down. You need to fix the ship so we can get out of here.” a short couple whistles and that was all she heard from the droid behind her.

“Later. What do you mean, later?” Lexa said, scanning the view she had from the cockpit window. Lights were scanning various surfaces and being thorough about it. She realized C-1 was hiding them from sight and decided to use the field to hide from their sensors by killing all sources of power but the single hyper-drive system. It was a gamble but the only shot they might have to get out of this situation.

Lexa closed her eyes and allowed the sensation of the force lull her into a meditative state. She would do all she could to control her heart rate and her breathing, making sure she could survive as long as she could while trying to mask her ships power fluctuation caused by C-1. Once she was free from her pursuers, she would go in search of her allies and they could decide their next course of action. At least she knew Obi-wan was still alive. That was a start.

~^~^~^~^~

Lexa monitored the situation outside her craft and the lingering feeling of tentacles working their way over and around the fragments of rock that floated around them. It was like a living creature was stalking her, trying to make her flee from her hiding spot so the chase could resume once again. Lexa figured the chase would last little more than a few minutes without that hyper-drive and C-1 had been forced to work slowly on it to not draw too much power and alert their pursuers.

The droid had been keeping her informed as to the progress but they both knew in order to make sure it was working, the ship would require a significant amount of power to run a full diagnostic. Lexa knew they would have just one chance to evade being destroyed and they had to take it. It was clear after two hours they didn’t believe the debris from the jettisoned armour was the remains of a destroyed ship so they had remained in the vicinity to find her.

A single beep from C-1 told Lexa it was time and she took a breath.

“Here we go.” Lexa said, flipping a switch in the cockpit and powering the craft to full. “All systems check. Let’s get out of here.”

Thankfully, most of the enemy ships were scattered about but the one Lexa was worried about had never moved far away. They knew where Lexa might be, and she could sense him but the asteroid belt had made it nearly impossible to see a ship unless you flew directly in front of it. It wasn’t long before her radar picked up the Tie fighter heading her way in pursuit.

“Tell me you got it working!” Lexa shouted.
C-1 had control of the thrusters and told her that they would have one jump at most because although the hyper-drive was installed, it had to be routed through the central power core and it would likely drain the entire battery. Thankfully, the computer in the central panel lit up showing the coordinates to Coruscant appeared and Lexa frowned.

“We can’t go to Corucsant! Somewhere else. Anywhere else!”

C-1 let out a few sharp sounds in frustration.

“I know I said Coruscant, but Obi-Wan said we can’t return there. Just get us out of here. I’ll deal with the ship and the battery afterward.”

Coordinates Lexa didn’t recognize appeared on the screen in front of her and a small red bar began to slowly proceed across the bottom informing her that the hyperdrive was spinning up. Lexa's teeth began to grind as she saw the modified Tie-fighter was upon them. She took control of the control of the ship and piloted with reckless abandon to avoid the lasers that filled the space around her. The Sith was going for quantity over quality and Lexa understood what was happening, thinking she would likely be employing the same strategy.

Every second the enemy got closer and so did the spray of red beams that flew by her ship, all of them no more than inches away from ending her life. Just a few moments later, what she thought might happen did - A shot struck her ship and the warning alarms began to wail because of the impact informing her that a fire had been ignited.

“C-1. Can you fix it?”

“C-1?”

There was no response. She didn’t know if he droid would be salvageable but at this point, it really didn’t matter much. There was a fire and the next shot would disable her ship completely. The the third would result in her death.

She had almost come to terms with the scenario until the central screen started to flash informing her the hyperdrive was operable. Lexa’s eyes widened and she pushed the lever for the hyper-drive forward. As the stars began to blur, something in the ship explode and as the ship entered hyperspace, she was thrown forward and then back again, her helmet slamming into the head-rest behind her causing a sharp pain to appear behind her eyes. A moment later, Lexa’s eyes unwillingly closed and her breathing became calm and measured after falling unconscious as her ship continued to sail across the stars to an unknown location.

Chapter Text

“Clarke?”

Lincoln followed his words by rushing forward after not receiving a response. Clarke began to sway away from the wall of the cliff path they were walking and took hold of her arm before she completely lost her balance as a few of the shale rocks underfoot tumbled down the mountainside.

This part of their journey had been the toughest. Winds in the mountain pass pushed them in one direction only to pull them in another moments later, slowing their progress which to this point had been rather enjoyable.

“Clarke, are you alright?” He asked her again, brushing her blonde hair away from her face to reveal her face.

Clarke somehow remained upright but unresponsive to any of Lincoln’s questions. What troubled him most was the pained expression on her face as though something had hurting her.

“Lincoln, what’s happening?” Raven asked but he had his hands full trying to stop Clarke from falling down the steep slope alongside the mountain pass.

“I don’t know, but we need to stop to figure this out.”

“Let’s go to that landing there.” Octavia directed their attention. “It looks like enough room for all of us to stop and take a rest.”

Lincoln decided to lift Clarke up and carry her over his shoulder. This made It possible to use his free arm to steady Clarke who had begun to lightly twist in his arms. He whispered an apology as he squeezed her a bit tighter to prevent her from wrestling herself free, only loosening his grip when he arrived at their destination and sat her down on the ground..

No matter what they tried to do, Clarke was unresponsive. She looked exhausted - something that should not have been an issue for any of them. After a few minutes of discussing their situation, they realized there was little more they could do without using their gifts. Raven was the most talented among them and she seemed hesitant to try.

“Do you think this is a part of the trials?” Raven asked. “Maybe the Elders knew something was going to happen and this is why we are here. To take care of each other.”

“I’m sure the reason for what is happening will come to light in due time.” Lincoln said, sitting straight and resting his hands in his lap. His features reflected the calmness in his voice.

Raven frowned but rested her wrist on Clarke’s  warm forehead. It was an old habit given to her by her mother and one she refused to give up. Yes, she could sense changes in others without the tactile sensation but there was substitute for something that had been proven to work for as long as it has. After a couple calming breaths she closed her eyes and focused.

A moment later,  she opened her eyes and found herself back at the mountains. Not exactly where they were currently but more-so the start of their hike into them. The wind was whipping around her and she remembered this was Clarke’s subconscious and everything in here played out according to Clarke and her interpretation. Once she gained her bearings, a chill washed over her. She had never felt anything like this before and instinctively she raised her guard and began to move in the direction of where she could feel a disturbance.

“Clarke?” Raven called out with her thoughts. “Clarke, show me where you are.”

It felt like she had been walking for days which was not unexpected. This can happen when trying to work into another mind - especially one as fortified as Clarke’s. If Raven could explain how she felt, she would say Clarke’s conscious mind was trying to fight against her and making every step she took in her direction more difficult. The winds from before had increased, and now rain fell sideways onto her soaked body. Raven promised aloud she would give Clarke a good talking to when she came out of this as she pressed on along the unwelcoming terrain.  

“Clarke, I’m starting to get pissed off and…”

She pulled herself up and over a ledge, brushing the dust and dirt from her clothes. She muttered her displeasure and the cold feeling returned and it felt as though it were a part of the marrow in her bones. Her body growled in discomfort and she had to fight to resist the urge to fall. It was clear to her now what caused the uncomfortable sensation and a look of concern had overtaken her.

Fifty meters before her in the middle of a maelstrom of lightning and debris, Clarke was in what appeared to be a fight for her life. She had scars on her arms and there were dark-red streaks in her hair from what appeared to be blood. Raven tried to get a good look at who was attacking Clarke but it never took a solid form. The only thing she could truly make out were a pair of yellow and red eyes that would grow brighter when it moved toward Clarke, then fading slightly after Clarke seemed to repel its attack.

“Clarke!” Raven yelled, informing her friend she was here to help.

Momentary confusion washed over Clarke that almost gave the creature an opening but with a grunt and a swing of her glowing white fist, it jumped away. Having lost it’s opportunity to take advantage of Clarke, the creature let out a snarl and began to fly toward Raven.

“Raven, get out!” Clarke yelled, her feet moving as quickly as they could to make up the ground between her and Raven.

The creature was fifteen feet from Raven when she felt something that forced her stomach to drop and her will to flee. It was as though the world around her had begun to darken and not just the one in Clarke’s mind, but her own. She surmised this creature must be the cause of what is happening to Clarke and that she was now likely trapped as her friend was, forced to fight this creature.

Ten Feet. The warmth that existed in her body a moment ago was suddenly replaced by a coldness she had never experienced before. It was like a blanket that was trying to smother her and a chill ran up the brunette’s spine making it difficult to move.

Five feet. Raven found herself choking. Her breath was trapped in her lungs and she could neither inhale or exhale. Her throat felt like it was being squeezed and she felt the onset of panic appear. Her wide eyes staring at the menacing creature who was nearly upon her.

“Raven!” She heard Clarke scream and then a violent force slammed into her consciousness, sending her out of Clarke’s mind and back into herself.

Raven involuntarily shivered and yanked her hand back, recoiling back from Clarke and scrambling away a couple feet. Anything to put distance between herself and the darkness that threatened to overtake her.

“Did you…” Raven asked.

Octavia and Lincoln but nodded, patiently listening as Raven recounted what happened and what she experienced.

“Can we help her?” Octavia asked.

“We may not be able to.” Lincoln said. He felt the power that had tried to overwhelm Raven and he was certain it was nothing any of them had experienced before.

“What if we all tried?” Octavia asked.

“We don’t even know what is causing this.” Raven argued. “It felt as if the walls were closing in around me and all I did was try to see what was happening to her. If we all end up like her, what then?”

Both Raven and Octavia’s eyes landed on Lincoln who was staring in Clarke’s direction and lost in thought. After a minute, he stroked his short beard and acknowledged their questioning eyes.

“I think it would be best to wait the night and monitor her condition. We can move her if we have to, but I don’t think we should try to peer into her mind again. I was able to carry her here and you said that it was only when you tried to join with her that seems to trigger whatever is happening. If she remains this way for the night, we can take her back to the capital.”

“We can’t go back. You know the rules of the journey. We cannot return until we have reached the north-lands and retrieved our crystals to place in the Grand Hall.” Octavia reminded the pair.

“I think this is an exception to the rule, O.  After all, we’re the first potentials who have ever been sent out as a group.” Raven said. “Maybe they knew something like this was going to happen?”

“I don’t believe the elders would have sent us together into danger, Raven.” Lincoln assured her. “Then we agree we will remain here with her for the night?”

Raven and Octavia both agreed with his proposal, arguing if her condition got worse they would re-evaluate their decision.

~^~^~^~^~

Clarke may be motionless on the cliff and surrounded by her friends, but in her mind, she had been forced into a fight with an opponent she had never heard of before. Nothing in the teachings from her elder, nor the books she’d studied of her people’s history gave her answers she sought. All she could do was fight. She tried to probe her opponent for answers both verbally and with her mind, but all she received as a response was a twisted laugh from the creature and a violent attack that followed.

The only thing she was sure of, is that the creature was born of anger. It was devoid balance and there was no light within it. Its attacks were merciless, each attack showing the evidence of the single-mindedness of her opponent. Once Clarke had an opportunity to do more than simply defend and attack, she noticed that it had become weaker than it was before. It didn’t take long for Clarke to understand how she could defeat it and only had to patiently wait for her opportunity.

Clarke was sure it would not be much longer when the arrival of her friend had thrown a wrench into her plan. Raven called out to her and although it distracted her, it gave her opponent an opportunity. A black claw reached out and slashed Clarke’s forearm before she could properly defend herself. In response, Clarke threw a blow at her enemy who had already begun to streak in the newcomers direction.

She screamed at Raven to leave before the creature could reach her. Noticing the brunette taking a stance in preparation to fight, Clarke shut her eyes and a moment later, sent Raven from her consciousness. The risk was having to ignore the creature that she had been fighting with to ensure Raven had been evicted from her mind, possibly leaving her vulnerable to whatever this creature was capable of. A cornered enemy is the most dangerous of all but she could not let harm come to her friend.

Once she was sure it was just her and her opponent left, she opened her eyes to see the creature looking back at her from where Raven had just disappeared. What startled her was the vague appearance of a human, their appearance heavily concealed by a dark cloud that acted as a cloak. The two glowing yellow-red eyes much more calculating than the beast she had been fighting moments ago.

“Who are you?” Clarke asked.

“Who I am is unimportant.” It was the voice of a male.

“Where did you come from?” Clarke continued her line of questioning as the figure started approaching her.

“Where is this?” The figure ignored her question, looking around.

Clarke took a fighting stance and the cloaked figure smirked at her response.

“You are strong for a Jedi. Who are you?”

“Someone you underestimated.”

“Perhaps. But this spectre is only a small part of my true power.”

“Then you understand my disappointment.” Clarke attempted to goad.

She wanted to draw out the anger from the creature to finish this once and for all but the intelligence in the eyes of the man told her that it was not going to work. There was something behind those eyes that worried her beyond her own physical well-being.

“The Empire will find all remaining Jedi. It is just a matter of time before you and those you protect will meet their end.”

Clarke frowned but did not alter her stance. The tone of arrogance that her opponent led her mind to consider the possibility that he was much stronger than he appeared. The pace with which he approached her had quickened and his hand retrieved an object from his waist.

“When I return, you will see true power. The fate of all Jedi will be the same.” he declared.

Clarke swung her fist in anticipation of her opponent dashing forward. As it approached, a long red beam that looked like a sword appeared from his hand, slashing downward toward her. Clarke acted out of instinct and blocked upward, summoning all her power to deflect the weapon. To her surprise, the physical contact Clarke expected did not happen and the darkness that approached had travelled past her. She spun around in anticipation of their continued duel but the figure was nowhere to be seen - not even a trace of it.

Reaching out in her mind, she could no longer feel the anomaly which gave her a sense of worry. It left as quickly it appeared as it had never been there. The only evidence left behind was the lingering questions in her mind.

Spending a long moment trying to ensure the intruder was gone before allowing herself to awaken, The worry gave way to a familiar calmness. A moment later she heard Raven’s concerned-filled voice that pulled her from her unconscious state.

“Clarke is waking up.”