As it’s flying, the Osprey cloaks itself and becomes invisible. They’ve escaped from the city, and are now flying over a vast, abandoned landscape of floating surfaces and buildings. Rey is in the cockpit, navigating the ship. Litha and BB-8 are next to her. Suddenly, she hears a disjointed murmur. It’s coming from her inner soul instrument. She speaks into it, “Luke, is that you?”

“Looks like the Tau don’t have any information about the crystal, and Skor have just attacked the city, so they’re busy at the moment. It looks like we don’t have a choice.”

“What do you mean?”

“If we’re to find this crystal, we’re going to have to head over to speak to the leaders in the other hemisphere... it’s where the other inhabitants, the Skor, are at.” Rey hears Luke sigh over the transmitter. “Maybe they have a lead. Fly out of the planet and meet me at these coordinates on the other side.”

But just then, a building below her begins to contort. Startled, Rey tries to speak into the transmitter again, but there is no signal. And then, more buildings begin to contort, and rise up into the sky. The sky darkens, and suddenly, the Osprey begins to feel a force pushing it down from above, dragging it into the ground.

Litha clutches onto Rey, who holds onto her tighter. The young girl is trembling, and Rey reassures her, “If you believe in the Force, it will protect you.” She says to BB-8, “We can’t leave the atmosphere! We have to find a way out of this Force distortion!”

They soar through the field of twisting buildings and surfaces, which curl into terrifying abominations and are now hurtling through the air at high speeds. The Osprey narrowly avoids several. And then, the soul instrument’s signal begins to fade in again. Ahead of them is something which cannot be comprehended or seen, but is felt. It is Nissidha.

“We have head there to escape the distortion!”

Rey tries to comfort Litha, and the Osprey flies into Nissidha. Rey braces herself, preparing for the worst. But when they enter, they’re in a wide region, narrowly lit. From far away, there are surfaces, shaping the region into some sort of tunnel. Outside of the tunnel, however, there is howling. There are flocks of something that are whipping past the tunnel fast, and howling. Rey checks the navigation map.

She tells BB-8, “Gravity is weakest in the center where we are; it’s as if we’re in space. But it’s strong on these surfaces around us. I think that if we were to land on them, we could walk around. You can even stand on the ceilings of these tunnels...”

As they traverse the barren tunnels, they encounter enormous expanses, mimicking the empty stretches of outer space. But other passageways are achingly narrow and tight. The huge variation in sizes makes Rey dizzy.

Hours pass, and the Osprey is still traveling through Nissidha. While BB-8 remains vigilant on the lookout, Litha begins to grow weary. She sits in a large chair, close to Rey. She is nervous and doesn’t want to go to sleep, but can hardly keep her eyes open anymore.

Rey sees her and whispers, “Hey, you don’t have to kick yourself awake. I’ll watch over everything for you.”

Litha nods, and dozes off. Rey thinks to herself, I have to make sure nothing gets to her. I have to do this. Though she strains to keep herself on the lookout with BB-8, eventually, she dozes off, too.

The night passes, and the Osprey finally finds its way out, and enters a dark world full of swirling red storms. It heads towards the coordinates given by Luke. When they get there, it is an isolated wilderness, full of black, curled up plants. Luke is waiting for them. He asks them, “What happened? I lost your signal so I tried to tracking you. I felt you were there, but I still had no idea where you were.”

Rey replies, “I was caught up in a Force distortion and couldn’t leave the atmosphere. I had to take the long way through Nissidha. And-”

“I’m glad you’re safe. But who’s that?”

Luke is looking at the Osprey and sees Litha, with her mask on, peering out from behind one of its doors. Rey says, “Her name is Litha. She was staying with a caretaker after she escaped from soldiers on Tatoonie. She wears a mask because her body can’t handle the Inimoni air. But we were attacked, and I’ve been trying to keep her safe.”

“Tatoonie?” Luke closes his eyes, his face grey. “I have not heard someone besides myself mention that name in a long time.”

“Why do you think they were after her?”

“We don’t have time to think about it. But if she is in danger, we have to find somewhere safe we can drop her off. First, let’s head into Kru; it’s a Skor city.”

Rey nods. She says, “Litha’s caretaker also told me about the history of Inimoni. I also found what the soul object here is. I’ll tell you what she said as we fly to Kru.”

THE ships penetrate through the cloudy darkness, and enter into a world of black spikes and mountain-sized stalagmites protruding from the ground. Red rain drizzles from above, and there is a constant hum of storms and crackles of lightening. Their ships land on a platform of cold stone in the city, a solemn place filled with black granite-like architecture and winding roads and hills.

Rey tells Litha to wait in the Osprey, and BB-8 guards her. As soon as Rey steps foot on the ground, she expects the same warm welcome that greeted Luke on Etilma. But someone hurls a strange appliance towards her, and she dodges it.

“Hey!” she shouts at the appliance chucker, who looks similar to a Tau but has red skin, no wings, and a scorpion-like tail, “What was that about?”

The Skor yells back, “We don’t need him mucking up in our own issues again! Get that Skywalker outta here!”

Then Luke steps out, and the Skor glares at him, but soon scuffles away. Rey looks up at Luke, who is staring blankly straight ahead. She does not want to question him to know why that just happened.

When they head into the city, Rey sees that it is a worn down slum. There are Skor living on the streets, living in makeshift tents. All around, she hears people cough, and beg for food. As they walk through the streets, various Skor walk by and sneer at them. Throughout the street, she hears people calling Luke names. One woman yells, “It was your fault that we’re in this mess!” They walk past her.

Then, a mob of people walk up to them. They shout right in Luke’s face, “First you can’t solve our problems, now, after the First Order got a new leader, we learn this Kylo Ren is your nephew. Can’t the Skywalkers do anything right?”

Rey steps in between Luke and the mob. She glares at the Skor and says, “You don’t know a single thing about them.”

One man bellows back, “You’re too young to get it. For the longest time, the whole galaxy was all about those Skywalkers. Now we see them for who they truly are: a family that thinks it’s so important, so it deserves to rule over us all. They’re so blind they can’t see that all they’re good for is swinging a light stick around.” He turns to Luke, and says, “Why should we listen to anything else you have to say?”

Luke says, with a straight face, “There’s more important issues now. You all saw the Force disruptions happening. I’m here to put an end to them.”

“Pff- hah!” The mob starts laughing. One of the Skors says, “Best for you to just stay away. When you do speak to our leaders, I hope they try you in court as a criminal.” Luke and Rey walk past the mob and continue down the road.

Rey has her head down, hugging her own criss-crossed arms. No, it’s can’t be, she thinks to herself. Were the Watchers right?

As they’re walking, Luke says to her, “Now do you want to know what happened?” Reluctantly, Rey says, “Tell me.”

[Flashbacks are seen]

“I was sent by the New Republic to deal with the conflict between the Tau and the Skor. The crystals warding off the Resepi were, and still are, getting weaker, and when they break, Nissidha will swallow the entire planet. Only the major cities, which are fortified with the stronger crystals, will be safe. The Tau and Skor fought to take over these cities for themselves, since they refuse to live with one another. Each side thinks the other side deserves to live outside of the safe locations. They think the other side started this war and should pay for what they’ve done.”

“That’s horrible! They have to choose who lives outside?”

“I couldn’t let one side be devoured by Nissidha. If the two sides were willing to live next to one another, many of them could all fit into the cities. I tried to find some way to evacuate the rest as refugees to other planets. But for centuries, the Tau and Skor killed each other whenever they ever came in contact.”

“What did you do?”

“Though it was incredibly hard, I managed to get leaders from both sides to diplomatically negotiate and form peace treaties. But in the end... it all fell apart. I was tricked by the Tau, whom I felt sorry for because of their history of being deceived by the Skor. I ignored all the red flags. The Tau broke the peace treaty, doing what the Skor did to them in the past. They believed the Skor couldn’t be trusted. I couldn’t stop Tau leaders from pushing Skor away from most of the safe cities, and preventing them from obtaining positions of influence.”

“I knew there was something off about those Tau! How did you stop them?”

“I couldn’t stand to see the Skor being treated like this, so I did all I could to give them a voice, providing them with the resources and encouragement that allowed them to band together and speak up for their rights. But this backfired; instead of negotiating, the Skor used these resources for violent means, and attacked Tau cities. When I saw this, I dissociated myself from the Skor rebellion, and called for a peaceful approach. The Skor did not like this. The Tau believed I had endangered them too, since if the Skor were forced to live under Tau rule and had no way to rebel, there wouldn’t be any wars and violence in the Tau cities. However, the Tau refuse to openly admit this, as they are unwaveringly devoted to the Jedi.”

Rey clutches her own arms even tighter. Then she says, “You saw the good in both the Tau and the Skor. You believed they would eventually do the same.”

“Many times, I could get people to realize the error of their ways. I was able to turn my father, Darth Vader, back to the light, and he saved me from the Emperor.”

“I believe that, too. Just because someone is on the dark side, it doesn’t mean all of the light has left them!”

Luke pauses. “But not everyone thinks like that. Some think that sometimes, you have to choose a side. If the sides can’t come to an understanding, the only way to end the fighting is when one side wins out over the other. If this isn’t done, then everyone will just suffer. Inimoni wasn’t the only planet I couldn’t save from civil war. There were others.”

They continue walking in silence. She thinks to herself: How can someone know what’s the right side to choose if both have their faults? How can she ever fight against innocents? She remembers the Watchers’ words: the good have the duty to stop the Force from falling into the wrong hands. Is it worth sacrificing one’s selfless attachments to an unobtainable ideal to save the greater good?

The duo reach the outside of an incredible palace, with Gothic-like architure combined with a myriad of psychedelic swirls and patterns. A guard stops them.

“I’m here to speak with the leaders of Kru,” Luke tells him. The guard doesn’t budge. Then, a group of Skor wearing robes walks out of the palace. One of them says, “We heard your transmitted request to meet about the Force disruptions. Though we doubt you can help our people with them, since we historically honor the Force and those who are faithful to it, we are willing to entertain your ideas.” They let Luke and Rey into the palace.

As they are walking, a thin, tall Skor leader with a sharp face turns to Rey and tells her, “My name is Yamados. Who are you?”

“I’m Rey. I’m Luke’s apprentice.”

“A surprise to be sure. We all sense great darkness in you.”

“What?” Rey says, indignant.

Yamados chuckles. “Don’t take it the wrong way. That was a compliment.”

They reach a large meeting room, and see Tau and Skor leaders arguing over the recent attack on Prim.

“Your people have attacked us again!” a Tau leader shouts.

“It had nothing to do with our government! It was a rogue rebel group that enacted it! Don’t play the moral high card when the Tau broke the treaty!”

“That was too long ago; it is useless to muse over it now. It was also done because we had good evidence that the Skor were about to do the same. The Tau have vowed to never break a treaty again. But you Skor, on the other hand...”

The Skor leaders motion Luke to follow them, and he enters another meeting room, where even more Tau and Skor leaders are flinging insults at one another.

As they argue, Yamados whispers to Rey, “Which side do you believe?”

Rey thinks for a moment, and then says, “Both have their merits. But the Tau were the ones who shut the Skor away from the safe cities.”

“So you know your history. Do you think that was right?”

Rey shakes her head. “They broke the treaty. I don’t like people who kick others down.”

Yamados grins. “Well then, if you are willing to learn more, I have something to show you.”

Rey’s interest is piqued. “About what?”

“About the Tau.” From behind his back, he hands Rey a transmitter, who grabs it from behind her.

Yamados continues, “When you find yourself free, contact me.” Rey, not knowing how to respond, doesn’t say a word. But just then, she feels something off in the room. Just above a Skor diplomat who is on the lower floor, there is an ominous presence. She turns towards one of the corners of the upper floor, and sees a shadow moving. She breaks formation and sprints upstairs.

“What are you doing?” a Tau leader screams at her. The guards rush to pursue her. But she doesn’t stop, and ignites her lightsaber, cutting down a shadow hidden in the room. Its arm is chopped off, and in the hands of the severed limb lies a plasma knife. The figure screams in agony, and the guards seize him. Luke and the other leaders barge out of the other room.

“An assassin?” a Tau leader exclaims.

Yamados rushes to inspect the severed limb. “A rogue Skor assassin,” he says.

“What?” the Tau leader says with great surprise, “What was he doing here?”

The other Tau leaders inspect the scene. One of them says, “Based on his position, he was trying to assassinate this Skor diplomat.” She points to the diplomat.

“One of their own?” the Tau leader says.

“No,” Yamados shakes his head, and says, “From a rogue organization. He was trying to cause more chaos by killing one of the few links to diplomacy between our governments. As you can clearly see, our government does not work with the rogues. We did not attack Prim today.”

Now leaders from both sides are murmuring. Luke walks up to Rey and tells her, “What did I say about being reckless, kid?”

Rey raises her brow at him, and says, “But I just saved the diplomat from an assassination.”

Luke chuckles. “Well, I guess it worked out this time. But don’t think you’ll get lucky every time.”

Rey sighs. “So, did you find out anything about the kyber crystal?”

“Unfortunately, I didn’t. The Skor don’t know, either.”

As the leaders work out the mess that just transpired, a Tau leader gets a briefing through her transmitter. She and several other Tau leaders walk over to Luke. “Master Skywalker,” she says, “Ever since you alerted us to the kyber crystal, we have sent scouts through Nissidha to search for it, and sent researchers to determine its location. We believe we have found it.”

“What?” Luke exclaims, “But your scientists said it would be impossible to find.”

“Yes, that is true,” the Tau leader says, “But fortune was on our side, it seems. Bless the Force.”

Rey notices something off. She remembers back in the first half of the poem she read. Was it supposed to be this easy? Or is she overthinking it? She can’t find a way to pursue the thought any further.

Another Tau leader speaks, “We will prepare an expedition team to obtain this crystal, and send them out in two days. In the meantime, we know how tired you must be from your journey. Tonight, we invite you to a banquet hosted by our people.”

Rey stands there awkwardly. She thinks to herself: Invite just Luke? I’m right here, too!

Luke coughs. “And, what about my apprentice?”

The Tau leader takes a deep breath, and then says, “Ah, well, we were hoping it was a formal dinner reserved for only the most distinguished leaders.”

“I believe my apprentice has demonstrated her abilities quite well. Did you see how she took out that assassin?”

“Yes, but she-”

Luke walks over to the Tau leaders. As he does, they slightly shirk down, though they do not move and are frozen in place. Luke speaks again, “Yes, but?”

The Tau leader is slightly trembling, greatly intimidated, and says, “Yes, I think we will reconsider our position. She is invited, too.”

Rey smiles. The Tau leaders walk away. Rey asks Luke, “What about Litha?”

“We’ll get the crystal in 3 days time,” Luke answers, “After that, we’ll focus all our efforts on finding a new home for her.” Then he turns to Rey, grins, and says, “Ever been to a Tau banquet before? Kid, you’re not gonna believe what you see.”

IN a marble-esque room adorned with sapphire, a lengthy Byzantine blue carpet and numerous chandeliers, Tau royals with fancy robes are sitting by a long, silver plated dinner table. Luke and Rey enter through the doors, dressed in splendid Tau attire, and sit down at the table.

During the dinner, Rey witnesses a slew of dishes, from all across the galaxy, that she had heard of, but had never seen before in person. As she stuffs herself, she nearly passes out from the endless amount of food being served. Finally, she throws in the towel, and buries her head in her arms sitting on the table. She looks up again, and yelps when she sees Luke chugging a glass of blue milk.

Luke hears the noise, and turns to look at her. “What?” he says.

Before Rey can answer, a Tau server walks up to Luke and says, “Master Skywalker, we know you quite admire the blue and green milks. We can serve you as many as you wish.”

“Nah,” Luke grins and says, “Let the others have some too, I wouldn’t want to hog it all.”

“We have... several barrels of it, Master Skywalker.”

Many more servers walk out, carrying trays of blue and green milk. Luke eyes them, and laughs, trying to play it down. They give the milk to the guests, and give Luke several glasses. They place a glass of green milk in front of Rey, who looks at it with mix of fear and disgust.

As Luke is chugging down the glasses in front of him, he sees Rey’s green milk, which she doesn’t even touch. He asks her, “You gonna finish that?”

Hesitantly, Rey replies, “Um... no.” Luke grabs it and chugs it while Rey side eyes the sight with utter repulsion.

The banquet ends. As Luke and Rey are walking out, Rey breathes a sign of relief. Suddenly, Luke stumbles over and passes out. Rey gasps. The Tau rush to help him.

As they panic, one of the doctors says, “Who gave him the blue milk infused with Jomti? You know that makes humans pass out!”

One Tau server quietly speaks up, “Um... I’m sorry, sir, I forgot! It was an accident!”

The Tau bosses chew him out. Rey turns to the Tau doctor and frantically asks, “How long will he be out?”

“I’d say... about 15 hours. He’ll be awake before our expedition.” The guards carry Luke out of the room.

Rey heads into her chambers, and as she prepares to sleep, she reaches into her robe and her hand comes across the transmitter that Yamados gave her. She whispers to herself, “A secret about the Tau?” She lies in bed for several hours, pondering on what to do. Finally, she makes up her mind and decides to use the transmitter.