Star Wars: Echoes in the Void/Initiation

'''Four Imperial fighter pilots stumbled onto a base. No one knew about it and no one needed to know. What they saw and heard were as real as their right hand, but to anyone else in the world, were merely echoes in the void. This is their story.'''

Four starfighter streamed the space. An aerial show for those nearby who happened to catch a glimpse as each starfighter flew by. Accelerating to top speed, what was known to the common man as hyperspace, the starfighters sped by over the vast, empty black of deep space. The sonic boom muffled within the cockpit of the Imperial TIE Avenger starfighters. The four starfighters circled in and joined formation. The Squad leader reported in.

“Squad leader, Retribution one. Fighters, report in.” A heavy masculine voice echoed through the intercom.

“Retribution four reporting in, Captain.” Another, less heavy voice echoed through the intercom. The man sounded as if he were in his mid-twenties. A newbie, fresh from the Academy on Coruscant, who had quickly learned the harshness of combat flying.

“Retribution three reporting, sir.” A finer, lighter voice called out. The voice was of the feminine persuasion. She was the only female in the crew and she showed her resilience even harder because of it. She could out fly any of the boys any day, even if she was handicapped. But her stunning ability was not because she was a great pilot; instead, it was because she could multitask, focusing on the outside and inside of the fighter at all times, that gave her the respected status she had among the men.

“Retribution two reporting in, Captain, sir.” A lighter, yet masculine voice replied. It was the voice of First Lieutenant Riun Malth, the comic relief, his stigma, of the crew. It was thanks to him, the constant insipid rounds became lighter and easier to bear.

Now, every man was accounted for. The Squad Leader, Carpo Vas, double checked his systems. Everything seemed to be in check. Altitude was stable, fuel was sufficient, weapons were operational, and other systems were online. It seemed like another day’s insipid rounds, but they did not see the invisible wall they were steadily approaching.

After exploring Sectors Two and Three, the squad was called in to investigate Sector One, expanding outside the territory. Their base was located just south of Eriadu, along the Hydian Way. It was several lightyears east of Clak’dor VII and west of Xagobah, and it was a couple lightyears north of Sluis Van. It was in the heart of nowhere, and because of that, no one knew about it.

Main systems began to fail. First the altitude dropped, fuel gauge read empty, and the main engines shut down. The fighters dropped from the sky, one by one, almost in perfect synchronization. The first fighter down was Captain Vas. Following behind was First Lieutenant Riun Malth and First Lieutenant Riina Grim. Finishing off the formation was Second Lieutenant Lymn Forge. As the TIE Avenger’s fell from the sky, the Captain regained his wits.

“We have Mayday.” Capt Vas ordered over the intercom, sending out a quick distress signal with their coordinates, “Pilots, prep to bail! The Remnant doesn’t want us as prisoners.”

“Captain, permission to speak freely?” 2d Lt Lymn Forge retorted.

“Newbie, I don’t have time to argue! Bail out on my mark! One minutes and counting.” Capt Vas demanded.

“With all due respect, Captain, there is a base just a few kilometers from here. If we set the fighter in as a thirty degree angle, we should be able to dock.” 2d Lt William’s voice shouted, out of order.

“Newbie! I’m serious! We bail in thirty!” Capt Vas affirmed.

“Captain! So am I! I know I’m out of place in saying this, but it is possible! I say take it! We might be able to refuel and return to base. Warn them of this…” 2d Lt William’s voice was cut off. The comlink was down. No communication. No hope. No survival.

In the distance, the Captain saw a bright flash. A glimmer of hope appeared not far from where they were descending. There was the base 2d Lt Forge was talking about right before comlink blackout. There was the survival. Capt Vas hesitated only slightly, and regained his composure. As much as the experienced fighter pilot he was, he had lost focus of his surroundings and admitted failure. “I am a pilot, born and raised”. They were two lines of The ReTrib’s Creed. The lines he had set as his personal motto and the motto of the squad. Those lines rang in his head and he knew what he had to do. Ten seconds to bail, but his intensions had switched.

With communications down, contacting the control tower for landing was impossible. They were going in hot and unidentified, something a fighter pilot never wants to do. He hammered down the joystick, pulling the fighter sharply, dangerously upward, back to the darkening sky. “Do something amazing” the recruiting motto when Capt Vas first signed up at the Republic Academy. He was living it now. His fighter jerk left and right, but soon stabilized. He was no approaching the ground at a horizontal angle, instead of the death defying eighty degree he was pulling off before he was to bail. He glanced beside him. The 1st Lt’s followed his maneuver perfectly. He didn’t even have to look out for 2d Lt Forge. He knew what he had done. The young spirit in the boy told Capt Vas that he would have attempted it even if the others had bailed.

The base came into sight. Hope fell on Capt Vas’ face as a smile grew larger. He was entering in a near perfect landing, gliding in with the wind. Soon it was over. He and his squad were resting, quietly awaiting assistance or criticism for landing in neutral territory. That was looking on the bright side. Capt Vas wished with every tingling nerve in his body that they had not stumbled upon a hidden enemy base.

There was no one there to accept them, no one there, nothing there, it was empty. Capt Vas checked his systems once more and noticed they were still offline. He opened the cockpit hatch manually and waited for it to slide forward. He removed his air mask and unlatched his safety harness. Clambering out of the cockpit, Capt Vas slid onto the wing of his fighter. He waved down his wingmates and gesturing the safety sign. He grasped his way towards the cockpit one final time and reached in for his pistol. The pistol was placed in a glove compartment near the pilot’s feet. Capt Vas holstered the pistol and leaped off onto the solid concrete ground.

Shortly after, his wingmates joined him. They were slightly disgruntled but were slowly gaining consciousness about the situation. The only one suitable for any intellectual speech was 2d Lt Forge, who had covered that maneuver twenty times in training, a new concept to the Academy on Coruscant. 2d Lt Forge didn’t want to disrupt the already scarred reputation for disrespect by speaking, waiting until the Captain opened his mouth. It took a short while but he did, and when he did, 2d Lt Forge was not expecting what came out of his mouth.

“For a newbie, you have quite a brain.” Capt Vas spoke; half laughing it out, half serious.

Still, 2d Lt Forge didn’t want to speak unless spoken to. The Captain continued to laugh, until it became contagious. 1st Lt Malth broke out chuckling after him, then 1st Lt Grim, and finally 2d Lt Forge. The laughter was ephemeral, though, and lasted only until 2d Lt Forge joined in. Capt Vas looked him in the eye, and Forge knew that was coming – the reprimand.

“Next time we’re in a life-or-death situation, I’ll be sure to consult you.” Capt Vas joked, but 2d Lt Forge didn’t catch on.

The comment struck him as odd that a Captain would ignore the blatant disrespect a lower officer gave him. This definitely wasn’t the Academy and 2d Lt Forge was learning that faster now. Capt Vas looked around the airfield and noticed still no one to welcome them or drive them off.

“Let’s look around the hangar. Maybe this place had to abandon quickly enough that they left behind supplies.” Capt Vas ordered.

2d Lt Forge was still expecting the rebuke but never received it, no in the entire time he served under Capt Vas did he or the others ever receive scolding over a mistake or what should have been a mistake. It was always, “Let’s move on”. The Captain didn’t seem to mind that his authority was questionable. Either that or the Captain knew he was fallible and allowed others opinions to make the right decision. Whatever it was, 2d Lt never learned it.

The crew worked its way down the stretch of durasteel floor inside the hangar. The doors had been left wide open, welcoming any who happened to wonder into it, like a fly trap. An eerie feeling came over the crew as they walked through the wide, sliding metal doors. Awe came about as the same time. The archaic design of the hangar dated back to the early Clone War. Admiration and respect for the history of the region and time period settled in the hearts of the noble Imperial Navy personnel.

The spinal archways, like that of the Whaladon rib cage, leading across the ceiling gave roots to the dangling tubes and light bulbs that illuminated the hangar. The double level walkway weaved its way above the pilots like the stretched arm of E’d’I in Mika’thelo’s ceiling painting. Deep within the heart of the hangar rested a tool shed with engine parts galore. As they approached the shed, the feeling shifted. It was no longer archaic. It was modern. The engine parts weren’t that of the Rebel X-Wing or Y-Wing or the Imperial TIE Fighter, both fighters from the Clone War. No, these were parts from their very own type, the TIE Avenger, which was introduced in 1 ABY, two years ago. Those parts were new.

Capt Vas ordered 1st Lt Malth to cover the left flank and 1st Lt Grim to cover the right. Spinning around, he motioned 2d Lt Forge in to check on the parts while he searched the exterior near the doors. Clear. Capt Vas rendezvoused with 2d Lt Forge by the body parts. While they were examining them, 1st Lt Malth wandered off and stumbled upon the hangar office and the corridor that led deeper into the base. He walked through the airlock, though it made no different with his already sealed vacsuit. He continued into the hall where he noticed the hangar office door was unlocked and ventured in. Keeping a clear view of the others through the large semi-reflective, transparisteel window, he examined the contents of the desk. An ancient computer sat at one end, while he examined the other end.

1st Lt Malth raised his un-holstered his pistol and raised it towards the computer. There was nothing. He lowered it and continued searching the logs and random notes lying on the desk. A faint beep was heard again and again. Malth raised his pistol towards the computer, when he saw nothing; he swiveled around to the door. There was nothing. He lowered his pistol once again. He opened the log book off “recent” dockings at the hangar. The last entry was Melona 4th,. The year was scratched out. The date before it was Melona 3rd, 22 BBY. 1st Lt Malth assumed it was the same year. A faint beep was heard again, then again, and again. Malth raised his pistol to the computer, then to the door, then to the computer again. There was nothing. 1st Lt Malth closed the log book and flipped through the notes. In every note he saw, there were words crossed out, marked with red ink. They happened to be located next to basket labeled “dalah”. Malth understanding of ancient dialects was little, but his understanding of that basket was simple due to the scissors placed next to the pile and a shredder on top of the desk. It meant destroy. These were classified “secret” papers.

The beep came back, this time beeping five times. Malth hesitated only slightly but blew it away. He didn’t fear it anymore. It was only a malfunction. But in that hesitation, 1st Lt Malth saw that there wasn’t nothing. Reflected in the transparisteel window was a figure of a fading man, dressed in a grey suit with a black tie hanging from his neck, and his hair combed back, giving the appearance that he was lower officer trying to impress his officials. In that normality he saw in the figure, the fading man’s eyes gave away his true nature. They were neither blue, nor green, nor brown, nor the mixture. They were glowing blood red.

1st Lt Malth could feel his heartbeat accelerate from the steady eighty beats per second to ninety, to one hundred. He wanted to scream, yell, do something, but his body stood still. He was a brick. His heartbeat grew louder in his chest, and whole body shook at each new hammer. Thump, thump. Thump, thump. His skin faded to match the color of the figure sitting by the computer. His vision blurred and darkened. His hearing dampened as if someone put their hands over his ears.

Outside, the others were watching Malth remain still, twitching slightly. They wondered what had caused him to be stricken numb. They peered through the transparisteel window and saw an empty room, except for 1st Lt Malth standing in the middle. There seemed to be nothing there, even though there was something there.

Malth, slowly gaining his wits, pivoted his body to face the computer. There was still nothing, but knew he had seen the figure in the window. He twisted his head to see the reflection in the mirror. He focused on the reflection, noticing more and more detail about the – thing. Looking back at the computer, Malth took a step forward. The clunk of his boots echoed loudly in his mind. He had a gut feeling would upset the – thing. Regardless, he took another step – and another – and another until he could see the shadowy, glossy figure of the – phantom. His heart began to race faster. Thump, thump, thump, thump. Thump, thump, thump, thump.

Malth turned back to the window to see his wingmates staring at him back. They had an incredulous look on their faces and started to wander towards the entrance to the hall, which led to the office. There, Malth panicked. He twisted his body around quickly to caution them. He clumsily waved his hands telling his wingmates not to enter, but his motions proved futile and ineffective, for as he turned, his side pack swiped the desk and tapped the one red pen that had been left on the desk. The pen slid from the desk and, to Malth, it appeared as if it leaped off the desk and sped up when it neared the floor. Malth flinched as the pin-drop tap resonated throughout the room. It alerted the phantom to his presence.

His hearing came back. He wasn’t hearing the clear, audible voices of pleasant people. It was the humming, groaning, screeching, and beeping of a thousand different items all playing at once. His sight came back with a flash. The room was clearing. He could see the figure pivot in the wheeled desk chair. The metal seat creaked as it stood up and stared at 1st Lt Malth. Reaching his hands out, it leaned forward. There was nothing Malth could do. He was caught in the trance of the glowing red eyes.

At that moment his wingmates clambered into the room. For the first time, they saw what had hold of Malth, making him unresponsive. The phantom gazed at the three new figures briefly, noticing that Capt Vas had drawn his firearm and was ready to shoot. Two bolts whizzed through the head area yet it still stood. Its gaze shifted back to 1st Lt Malth, who stood wide eyed, stiff, and sickly white. It reached forward and everyone witnessed the unthinkable.

The cold grew thick, even though it was a bright, warm afternoon. Malth could feel his blood thicken, his arteries clot, and heart freeze. The coldness of the phantom had a grip on his heart. Capt Vas sidestepped to see what was going on. What he saw, he couldn’t take for long. The phantom had stretched out his arm and stepped forward. The frigid digits of the spirit had slipped through time and space and 1st Lt Malth skin, burrowing deep within his chest through the ribs and flesh, grasping his slowly freezing heart. The cold spread. It was no longer in his heart, but his entire torso. He started shivering. His breath was a dense cloud as it exited his mouth. The red eyes of the phantom burned with anger. There was nothing anyone could do.

Suddenly everything stopped. The phantom retracted his hand and brought it to his head. Malth body quickly thawed, and his wingmates were bewildered. Capt Vas felt a shiver run down his back and he knew there was something behind him. He twisted around to catch a glimpse of a foggy blur pass through him. His extremities chilled briefly, and then thawed. He didn’t recognize what hit him, but he knew something did. He felt the chill return to his spine and twisted around once more. Instead of one, he now saw two phantoms, one saluting the other.

“Ha nerkocth, bonh (at ease, soldier).” The new figure spoke; his heavy accent emphasized by the rolled r’s and added accent marks to each vowel. He was a true Ruusan. Turning to face Capt Vas, and a slowly calming 1st Lt Malth, the figure continued to speak.

“You seemed surprised to, umm, witness such a phenomenon as us.” The officer spoke.

“Who are you?” Capt Vas inquired, using his typical Colorado accent, one he had picked up while at the Academy.

“I am the overseer of this facility. That is all you will need to know.” The spirit replied.

“I wish to know the name and rank of the person I’m speaking to.” Capt Vas insisted.

“You will know my name and rank when I gain your trust. Now, under what symbol do you fly?” The overseer continued.

Confused, slightly, Capt Vas turned to his wingmates. Each of them gave the same inclining gesture. If the ghost did not know who they were, then it was best not inform him. They feared that if the ghost knew they were Imperial, an army of them would appear, and there would be no hope. Capt Vas turned back to face the officer.

“We fly under the Crimson Broken 8. We’re the Retribution Squad, a freelance mercenary fighter squad.” Capt Vas explained.

“So, you’ve come to raid our vessel. You saw that it was abandoned and figured you could gain a few extra credits on the black-market. Well, you’ll soon come to find, raiding us won’t be as easy as you may have expected.” The overseer stated, raising his hand to allow the officer to resume his previous actions.

“Before you act, take the time to realize. We were patrolling the region around our base when we came across your ‘facility’. So, in reality, you are trespassing on our space. According to the Treaty of Seven Sectors, we have the right to dispose of any unwanted items within our territory, as long as a warning is giving. Consider this that warning.” Capt Vas insisted.

“What makes you think I’ll obey the Treaty?” The overseer inquired.

“First off, you’re an officer, bound by law. Above that, you’re a Jedi, bound by the Force.” Capt Vas noted.

“What makes you think I’m a Jedi?” The overseer wondered claming up.

“You’re eyes. They aren’t red. They don’t burn with hatred. The only people I know that can have that peace when they die are the radical idealists of that mono-theistic worshiping cult and Jedi. I see no symbol of faith, so I assume you must be a Jedi. We mean no harm nor foul in this facility. We are just curious.” Capt Vas replied.

“You are a well educated man. I have but one more thing to ask of you?” The overseer asked.

“What is it?” Capt Vas wondered.

“Help me save the souls of this facility. I was sent here on a mission ten years ago, for the Republic. I unfortunately fell ill and passed away. My body can be found in the residential area of this facility. But, something happened here, something that has angered the spirits. I was unable to find out what it was. Please, help me. All the answers you need, in order to discover the reason behind their sudden death, are in this facility. But I warn you. There are those here who wish to help you. They view you as freers and liberators. But there are also those who see you as the enemies and will need you to prove your loyalty. Be careful when venturing into the dark. That is where they dwell. I will journey with you as a guide.” The Jedi replied.

“Have we gained your trust?” Capt Vas inquired.

“We’ll have to wait and see.” The Jedi replied.

With that, there were no more questioned. They were men of the military, they were given an order, and they were to obey it. That they did. They left the room, hoping to return, and ventured out into the hall. They opened the door that led deep within the facility. When the door closed behind them, everything they knew and trained for came to use. They would return with the good news. When the door closed behind them, there was no turning back. Not until the job was done. It had to be done. It would be done.

The room was dark, but not the darkness they were warned about. This was different. It had hope. Capt Vas reached down and retracted his pistol, which he had settled when conversing with the phantom commander just minutes earlier. Located just below was a small attachment, a flashlight. He switched it on. The small beam of light illuminated the entire hallway and they could see that they were standing over a large, iron grid walkway. A loud, rhythmic humming came from below. Capt Vas shown his flashlight down and they all saw a large wind tunnel fan. Capt Vas led the way.

The clanging of their footsteps echoed in their ears. They knew if anything was out to get them, they certainly knew they were coming. They reached the far end. Once there, 2d Lt Forge noticed a small switch on the wall. He walked over and whispered out.

“Permission to speak freely, sir?” 2d Lt Forge requested.

“Granted. As a matter of fact, I want you to speak freely from here on out. That’s an order.” Capt Vas ordered.

“Yes, sir. Did the – thing say that the power was offline?”

“Yes, why?”

“Wasn’t the computer beeping? Wouldn’t that mean it was on?”

“Not necessarily.” 1st Lt Malth interjected.

“Why not, Malth?” Capt Vas inquired.

“Just because there was no power, doesn’t mean that it can’t create sound. The speakers to the computer emit sound waves, on or off. The beeping came from electrostatic interference with the speakers.” 1st Lt Malth explained, as he was the technician of the group, “I now realize that. During the encounter, I had lost my senses and thought the computer was on, too. But it wasn’t. There was nothing on the screen and computers that old have an annoying humming noise. The only noise was the beep, or the interference with the computer speakers. The phantoms must emit some sort of electrostatic field that, when close enough, interferes with sound waves. Thus creating the beeping noise we heard.”

“Could it be that just the power in the hangar is down?” Capt Vas wondered.

“Well, there’s one way to check.” 1st Lt Malth insisted, “Forge, flip the switch”

2d Lt Forge flipped the light switch, but nothing happened. There was no flicker, nothing. Not even the hopeful humming of incandescent gases burning. Capt Vas looked to 1st Lt Malth for a confirmation nod, but only got a disappointed shake.

“So, it’s settled. We find the power generator and start this facility up.” Capt Vas demanded.

“We should open a comlink current, just in case we run into anymore – ghosts.” 1st Lt Malth insisted.

“What would that do?” Capt Vas wondered.

“The same thing at the computer with the speakers. If we have an open current, then the comlinks will emit the same beeping when a ghost approaches as it did with the secretary by the computer. We’ll now they’re coming even if we can’t see them.” Malth explained.

The pilots immediately turned to their comlinks. Opening a channel, they synchronized the comlinks. They figured it would be safe to keep an open connection should any of them get separated.

“Well, then. Let’s move on.” Capt Vas ordered.

They moved on. They were swift, silent, and secretive. They worked together in perfect synchronization, almost as if they were a commando squad. There was just one difference between them and the commandos, they knew how to fly. Opening up a series of doors, the crew worked its way down to the central hall. Upon entering the hall, they noticed the grandeur workings of the old Republic, the one right before the reorganization into the Empire. The Bendu symbol was plastered on a giant draping canvass that hung from the transparisteel dome window.

Looking around, they noticed the main section of the platform was five levels. It was smaller then the usual military platform. Their curiosity sparked. The darkness still swelled the hall, light only penetrating two stories. They used their flashlights to discover the rest. It still was not the darkness they were warned about, and they knew it. When the Jedi had said, darkness, he had a cold, bitter emphasis when he spoke the words. They knew they would know the darkness when they saw it. It would be cold and bitter. This had hope.

Capt Vas’ spine shivered again and he spun around. Knocking the two beside him slightly, he raised his pistol, knowing there was nothing he could do. It was more of a comfort raise then a military trained raise. But no matter what the raise was, he saw a friend before him.

The Jedi had siphoned his spirit to their location and appeared before them. He was completing his promise. The Jedi walked up and let the pistol rest within his chest. Looking at the remaining crew who stared, slightly startled, he spoke.

“This is the main hall. The residential area is located on the next story.” The Jedi stated.

“We’re not looking for the residential area yet. We want to know where the power generator is. Where is it?” Capt Vas wondered.

“It is located on the below the bottom story. The only way to get to it is in the turbo lifts, which aren’t working.” The Jedi explained.

“Well, there has to be a way to get to --” Capt Vas’ voice was cut out with the sudden and loud echo of something metallic hitting the durasteel floor.

He looked over to see 2d Lt Forge bending over his pistol, which had slipped from his hand. When it fell, it had struck the edge of the overhang, and thus echoed louder then would have had he been closer to the wall. He picked it up and examined it. It took him a while to realize that the others were looking at him with a scornful look.

“Sorry. Nervous.” 2d Lt Forge apologized.

His apology was short lived. The Jedi stared him in the eye. The trance was so enticing, 2d Lt Forge never saw the Jedi approach him. The Jedi didn’t seem to stare into Forge’s eyes, but through them. He was looking at the other side of the giant chasm, where the walkway looped around. 2d Lt acknowledged the glance and turned around. There was nothing there.

“What is it?” Capt Vas wondered.

“A man. He was brought here as a worker. His wife and child were caught inside the Residential area. It was because of his daughter, I ended up this way. I hold no grudge, just sympathy. I wish to help him.” The Jedi stated.

“Is he harmful?” 2d Lt Forge inquired.

“Only to the bitter hearted.” The Jedi responded, “Now, if you wish to regain power to this facility, you must restart the generator on the next level. However, you will not be able to do that with out the key to the power room.”

“And where is the key to the power room?” Capt Vas insisted.

The Jedi turned to him. The Jedi’s blue, peaceful eyes met Capt Vas’. Suddenly, Capt Vas knew what the Jedi was going to say, and gave a sigh. The Jedi’s mouth opened.

“The man knows where it is. He worked in the power room.” The Jedi stated.

The others countered Capt Vas’ sigh with their own. 2d Lt Forge looked up at the Jedi in bewilderment. He had obviously connected with every being in this facility during his long stay with them. Forge wondered how many of them he had grown to know personally.

“Is there anything about him we need to know in order to talk to him?” 2d Lt Forge wondered.

“Newbie, where are you going with this?” Capt Vas insisted.

“I’m saying we need to gain his trust. If we know something about him, promise to help him in any way, he may be willing to help us in return.” 2d Lt Forge explained.

“You read into that cult of yours too much. But you do have a point. Jedi, you said his wife and daughter were in the Residential area. Is there anything about them that he talked about?” Capt Vas requested.

Capt Vas was referring to Forge’s beliefs in the Cult of Genas E’d’I, a monotheistic religion that sprang off of the Main Church of Coruscant. Forge’s beliefs in life-after-death caused him not to fear the undead, such as the Jedi and the ghosts. His beliefs also caused him to be mocked among his wingmates as he was the only believer in Genas E’d’I in the squad.

“He did say that they loved to travel. They were on vacation to Naboo when he was recruited for this job. He said that because he couldn’t leave, his family grew impatient. They bickered more frequently until they barely spoke. That was shortly before he died. He just wants to know they’re alright.” The Jedi spoke.

“Well, then we let him know they are. 2d Lt Forge. You go over there and talk to him. We’ll cover your back.” Capt Vas stated.

“By cover you mean, stand here and cower.” Forge joked.

“We’re pilots, not commandos. We do know the meaning of fear.” Capt Vas stated.

With that, the questions ceased. 2d Lt Forge holstered his pistol and strode down the narrow, curving hallway until he reached the other end of the chasm. He approached near where the Jedi had been looking when a blue flickered appeared next to him. He looked to his side and saw it was the Jedi walking beside him.

“I’m here to point him out.” The Jedi stated.

At that same instance, Forge’s comlink beeped. He was close. He leaned his hand up against the wall and felt his way down towards the nearest door. When he came within a couple meters, he saw the grey smudge appear near the door. With each step, the image became clearer. It was a man kneeling down by the door, pounding on it, whispering something to himself.

The man, still grey, had an interesting feature. His eyes were not red, but grey. A scar placed itself cleanly on his right cheek. His skin color was pale, even for a ghost. Forge assumed he was a Chiss. As his right hand beat the door, Forge could see a flash of light reflecting off what appeared to be a ring. Activating his flashlight, Forge focused in on the ring. However, the click of the button and sudden appearance of light alerted the ghost to his presence.

With one swift movement, the ghost, phantom, whatever, turned to face Forge. The grayness of his eyes melted away and was soon consumed with fire. The burning red dots burned a hole in Forge’s brain and the image would never leave, but he was slowly becoming afraid. More mesmerized then afraid, but still, fear did make its presence know. His hand began to vibrate, making it impossible to keep the beam of light steady on the ghosts face. It was difficult, but Forge could tell the ghost had stood up and started to approach him.

The phantom stopped in his tracks as he noticed the Jedi standing beside Forge. The Jedi held out his hand and calmed the ghost’s evil intentions. Opening his mouth, the Jedi lowered his hand and explained.

“Triv, stop! He means you no harm.” The Ruusan Jedi exclaimed.

The phantom stopped. His gaze shifted back to the Jedi. His eyes died off and became grey again. Forge’s quickly beating heart settled. Everything was calm. Everything was quiet. It remained that way until the ghost spoke up.

“I am sorry for trying to harm you. I swore to protect this facility from outsiders when I was recruited.” The ghost stated.

“It’s alright. What is your name?” Forge inquired, attempting to sound sympathetic.

“My name is Rift’riv’alloto, my root name is Triv. I am a Chiss from Coruscant where I worked for one of the planet’s main power companies.” Triv explained.

“What is it that you did – do here?” Forge caught himself. He didn’t want to press the issue that Triv was dead, but he figured he already knew.

“It is alright. I realize my current physical state may be questionable. I worked as the main power controller. I worked in the power room. My family and I came here when I was recruited on Naboo. They told me, when I came, that I would never leave. I thought that they meant I would die of old age.” Triv explained.

“What happened?” Forge wondered, figuring he might be able to get to the bottom of the situation quickly.

“I do not know. Just that, one day when I was walking to the hangar as we had recently receive a new shipment of goods, including new conduits, I collapsed. Whatever it was, made me – this and separated me from my family.” Triv continued to explain. Impressions on his face told Forge that is was difficult for him to explain what had happened that day. He only longed to see his family again.

“Then I promise to reunite you with them someday. But you have to give me the key to power room to do so.” Forge reasoned with Triv. It was futile. Triv looked up at Forge and a spark burnt in his eyes.

“Are you bargaining with me? If so, then here is your bargain! I just want to know my family is alright. You do that, and I will give you the key to the power room. My daughter, she kept something with her all the time. It was a Mon Cal doll. She adored it. My wife. Bring me the wedding ring from my wife, and my daughters doll and I’ll give you the key to the power room.” Triv stated.

“Can you interact with material items?” Forge wondered.

“I just need to see them. You let me see them and you will have your key.” Triv promised. He seemed like a man of his word. Forge reached out his hand, knowing Triv couldn’t shake it. He didn’t do it to seal the deal; he did it so show that he, too, was a man of his word. Triv nodded his head in response and smiled. He turned to face the rest of the visitors and spoke.

“Are these your friends?” Triv wondered.

“Yes. I promise. We’ll get those items and bring them to you.” Forge promised and waved to the squad to circle around. He looked back at Triv who was staring at the pilots as they walked. “The turbolifts are down. Is there any other way to get to the next floor?”

“How do you know they are there?” Triv inquired.

“Your friend here, the Jedi, told me.” Forge pointed out the Jedi next to them.

Triv smiled, knowing that they would genuinely help him out. When the others arrived, their comlinks were set off by the field Triv created. Forge insisted that he was safe, but the others still pursued with caution. They didn’t know what to expect. When they arrived, they caught a glimpse of the Chiss ghost and stepped back in fear. He was different to them. They immediately noticed the eyes. When 2d Lt Forge insisted that he was no harm to them, they stepped forward again, still cautious.

“Since the turbolifts need power, and there is no power, it will be difficult to gain access to the Residential area –” Triv was cut off when Capt Vas heard what he said.

“I thought we were going to the power room. What happened to us going to the power room?” Capt Vas wondered.

“We have to make a quick stop at the Residential are first. In order to get into the power room, we need the key. Triv, here, needs to know his family is alright. When he knows that, he’ll give us the key to the room. Then we can turn the power back on.” 2d Lt Forge replied.

“Like I was saying – to gain access to the Residential area you will need to use the service stairwell behind me. It will take you to the next level. The Residential hall will be on the opposite side. It may be hard for my wife to accept that I am gone. To convince her, give her my wedding ring. When she sees this, she will know that I am alright and will in turn give you hers.” Triv stated, pointing to the small golden ring resting on the ground by the door.

Capt Vas bent down and slipped the ring between his index finger and thumb. His gloves obstructed him from sliding it down his finger to assure its security. He slid it into a side pocket for protection and nodded to Triv to affirm that he would guard it with his life. After all, without it, he couldn’t leave. Capt Vas looked at the others and gestured for their acknowledgement. Since everyone wore the classic Imperial pilot helmet, with slight personal modifications, no one could interpret their expressions. The three remaining pilots lowered their head, signaling Capt Vas that they were ready for whatever laid behind the doors to the stairwell. With two swift steps, Capt Vas bided farewell to Triv and stepped through the doors to the stairwell. His wingmates soon followed. Fear seeped through their air-tight suits and they soon felt weighted down. They feared dying. They feared failing. Worse of all, they feared what they didn’t know lay on the opposite side of the stairwell entrance to the second level. It would shock them all.