“What do we have here, master Vondin? Taking your padawan out at a dangerous time like this?” A male twi’lek asked, his skin a dark green, clad in the signature robes of the Jedi. A smirk on his face, a notable scar running across his right cheek all the way down  to his chin. His left hand a cybernetic, eyes lit with curiosity and sarcasm. Kyla shook her head as Jedi knight Elav Chiyoa approached them.

“I’m surprised you’re not already out there Elav, its your kind of business.” She said to the scarred twi’lek as he walked up to her, giving San a brief glance.

“I was just on my way and now it seems a convenient transport appeared in front of me, and I guess you’re my chauffeur.” He joked with a deep laugh. Kyla once more shaking her head as another rare smile escaped onto her lips. Elav was a comedian, but he was a damn good Jedi as well. She’d fought alongside him in some of her later battles during the war.

“You’re San right? Be careful with your master, she climbs mountains for fun.” He added with a nod towards the Kel Dor. Then glanced back at Kyla.
“I-I don’t think she does,” San Anin said in a soft voice, the joke going over her head completely as her social awkwardness forced her to be more reclusive as she stayed close to the battlemaster. Her eyes did not leave Kyla, at least, they kept the master in her field of view as she thought of what else to say in response to Elav. Her hands continued to play with each other as she tried to clear her mind, though it seemed impossible with her nerves getting to her. Her hands stopped playing with each other as she realized what she was doing, embarrassed at being so helpless in the situation. San Anin’s mind raced as to what they might face in the Rift.

“Yep, now you’re driving, have fun. The Rift isn’t far.” Kyla replied as Elav rolled his eyes, strolling to the cockpit and sliding into the pilot’s seat.
With Elav out of the San Anin’s sight, she relaxed a bit before she found a spot to sit and cross her legs to try to meditate. Gradually, as she closed her eyes, her worries of the day began to fall away as her mind became one with the force once more. She could feel the conflict that the intruder brought to the planet as San Anin honed her mind. Never before had she felt the planet so conflicted, as if it shared the same worries of facing the dark side that the Kel Dor had.

“I’m sorry for being so shy, master,” San Anin said in an unnervingly calm voice, her eyes still closed behind her protective goggles. At least her shy nature faded away when she meditated, a natural stress relief for the reclusive padawan. “I will try to be more confident in the future,” she continued, the calm voice persisting.

“Don’t worry about it San, you have a gentle soul. There’s no shame in that. I’d rather you were calm, composed and quiet than boisterous and unpredictable.” Kyla stated with a nod, sitting across from her padawan as the shuttle door closed and the vessel rose upwards off the ground. As it rocketed up more she heard Elav exclaim something from the cockpit, over the roar of the thrusters.

“You know I’m serious, I’ve seen that battlemaster climb up one of those snow capped mountains single handedly. What do you think she does in her free time?” The twi’lek said as he pushed the controls forwards and piloted them over the very mountain range he was speaking about.

“Ignore him. He’s just ridiculous.” Kyla said to San Anin as the transport continued heading towards the Rift.

 Even now the three Jedi could sense the peculiar sensations within the Force caused by the mysterious crash landing. Beneath them the planet rocked gently from a Force storm caused another arthquake, which was strong enough to topple over smaller trees and knock over shelves. She feared if they didn’t put a stop to the disturbances then these quakes would only grow in strength, literally ripping fissures in the ground at its worst point. The veteran Jedi closed her eyes, slowing her breathing as she attempted to meditate on the light side.

In her mind she saw the oceans of Tython, the waters now ravenous with waves. The deep blue seas rocked powerfully, slamming tides into the shores with increasing furiosity. In the desert sandstorms kicked up, spraying dirt, rock and sand across the waterless wasteland. It seemed the entire planet was trembling, only increasing in furiosity. Still, she managed to find some peace in the Force. Just enough to focus her thoughts, calm her nerves and ready herself for whatever challenges they would soon face.

“We’re close!” Elav shouted as the ship rocked gently, signaling they were indeed drawing nearer to the Rift.

Fierce winds swept through the fearsome, mysterious gorge in the ground. Kyla could sense others strong in the Force deep within the canyon, though it was too chaotic to figure out exactly who or what their intentions were. She slowly opened her eyes, and rose to her feet, grasping onto a side-bar as the transport began to lower to the barren ground. With her free hand she carefully grasped one of San’s then looked her teenaged apprentice in the eyes with pure certainty.

“The Force is with us.”

“The Force is always with us,” San Anin said, nodding her head to her master, looking at the shuttle door with a clear mind. Her mind focused on the task at hand, not the consequences or challenges that they may face, only that they needed to know what was happening. With her hand being held by her master, the padawan grabbed her lightsaber with the other as she prepared herself for any hostilities.

Kyla nodded confidently, pleased with how San had put her worries aside in order to focus on the mission at hand. The shuttle came to a stop in its descent as its landing gear deployed and the ship’s back door slowly began to open. From out of the cockpit walked Elav, clenching a lightsaber in each hand as he glanced at Kyla and San.

“I didn’t pick up signs of any other ships in our vicinity, whatever craft crash landed is deep down the Rift. Hope you both like walking.” The twi’lek said with another smirk, then was the first one to step outside of the transport. The battlemaster and her apprentice not far behind.

“We should be able to hop right down, follow the signs of the crash and the activity within the Force.” Kyla said as she walked across the barren rocky ground surrounding the Rift. Jagged rocks shot up from the ground around them, long dead trees littered the landscape near the gorge. A scentless smoke emitted deep from the depths of the fissure in the planet before them.

“Hey, do you see this?” Elav exclaimed, his voice echoing from below. The Jedi knight already having begun his descent into the canyon.

A set of ledges and sturdy rocks allowing the trio to make their way into the depths, carefully of course. One misstep or slip could prove fatal. As Kyla peeked over the edge down towards Elav she noted he was holding up a large piece of metal with both hands. A piece of the ship that had broken off as it fell into the gorge. Apparently having hit one of the jagged rocks which shot from the sides of the canyon. It was dented and scratched, the rest of the vessel couldn’t have been far.

“We’re on the right path then, let's get going.” The battlemaster stated, then leaped down to the same spot as Elav, waving her hand cautiously for her padawan to follow.

The twi’lek Jedi continued ahead having discarded the metal from the ship, descending to another ledge below them. Kyla blinked as the Force echoed as they went deeper into the Rift, finding it to be an intense sensation. Only amplified by the disturbance from the crashed ship. Suddenly the canyon shook, the Force momentarily screaming out to them before settling itself as quickly as the quake arrived.

“I have never felt the Force do something like this. What could we be tracking that caused this?” San Anin asked to nobody in particular as she carefully maneuvered around an outcrop. She looked to her master before she stopped, allowing herself to feel the sensation that the force imposed upon them. It was a conflicting feeling, though very clear in how much it was unnatural to the planet as a whole. The padawan shook herself free from the force’s hold as she followed closely behind her master, lightsaber hilt still in her hand.

“Likely a powerful dark side inclined force user. The sudden arrival of one would shake the balance of the Force on the world,” Elav stated from below, pausing in his descent to turn and glance back at the San Anin. “One steeped in the dark side.”

“So you think it may be a Sith?” Kyla asked as she carefully dropped down from a steep ledge.

“Possibly. Not all who dwell on the dark side align with the Sith though. Could even be a fallen Jedi. That’d explain how they found this world.” He replied, as unsure as anyone else was about the new arrival to Tython. Another tremble shook the canyon, causing the trio of Jedi to pause in firm stances until it subsided.

“We have to put a stop to the quakes before it rips the world apart. We’ve already lost one temple.” Kyla stated, referring to the sacking of the Coruscant temple. A horrifying incident that seemed to only upset her the more she thought of it, though she was not there during the attack.

“Oh we will. I believe they aren’t far, that looks like a ship.” Elav said with another sly smile, extending one hand to point out a badly damaged starship in their sight. Grounded and dented all over, it seems whoever was piloting it managed to skid it across the rocky floor. A short distance from a side tunnel, the likely destination of whoever made it out of the ship alive.

“Lets go. That has to be it,” Kyla said as she darted downwards, until she was on the same level as the crash landed vessel. Elav alongside her as they cautiously walked towards it, their lightsabers in hand. “Augh, the Force is pulsating down that cavern.”

The strength of it caused Kyla to grab her temples momentarily, causing an intense dizziness which faded after a few seconds. Elav experienced similar issues but both the experienced Jedi brought themselves back to focus. The battlemaster trekked back to find San, making completely sure that her padawan was ready for whatever they may soon encounter within the Rift. Meanwhile Elav looked at the remains of the crashed starship, attempting to look for any pieces which bore a ship name. While badly damaged, the ship did not resemble any Imperial designs he could recall.

“San, I want you to stick close to me once we head into that tunnel. We’re both in uncharted waters here and I need you to be strong for me and for yourself. You see or hear anything unusual let me know immediately.” Kyla said, ensuring her words came out clear and precise.

“I-I’ll be with you, master,” San Anin nodded to Kyla, clearly concentrating on remaining focused and not letting the pulsating feeling of the force get to her. Clearly, the padawan was having a harder time grasping the power and conflict the further they descended into the Rift, though it seemed she was willing to push on despite the dizziness and general unease she felt. With her eyes forward, she stepped past her master to look at the Rift and the crashed ship to examine it from a distance before letting out a sigh.

“I’ll follow your lead,” the padawan said, turning to her master.