5 Ghosts of Solace

The manifestation of apparent evil stood quietly; somehow still unable to completely gauge the wanderer's power. Darkness licked at her like flames; the wraith was trying to infiltrate Rey's mind. "So much potential," the knight of darkness pondered. The shear ability to control her fear was as mighty as the gold saber she wielded with impressive brute force; an impossible feat for her dainty size. Rey took advantage of the calculating  villain in front of her by encouraging a tower of stone to topple over unto the villain; almost covering it in stone-but for mere seconds. The force of darkness burst into twisted laughter once again and sent a wide spray of sand and gravel directly at Rey. Her quick reflexes and trust in the force saved her life as she managed to redirect all of it safely to the ground. Defiantly, Rey roared at the darkness "Who are you?!" "I demand to know why you've brought me to this place!" Her eyes burned fiercely like fractured candlelight; suddenly the scavenger didn't feel so alone.

The force filled Rey from her head to her toes and she felt it! The shrouded evil still stood eerily before her in silence; she heard a muffled chuckle as it appeared to mock her but she wasn't convinced. The darkside is always playing tricks she thought, but she could start to feel that this dark messenger was also about to reveal itself. Rey did not like to be toyed with and she grew more impatient with each passing second in shared silence. Gritting her teeth, she lunged forward; pressing her brilliant gold saber daringly close to the mask of the villain, she still saw no face, only darkness.

"I am everything that you are afraid of!" The voice finally sneered; sounding almost humanly and masculine. "This is the city of Solace, " the dark wraith continued, "Which I lay to ruin on the edge of the Boralic Sea, many years ago." Mentally charting the location in her mind as if it were a map, Rey could pinpoint that they were on the planet Cerosha and a few clicks away from the neighboring town of Mock.

Blurred images of what seemed to be visions of hieroglyphics and notes of warning from the ancient Jedi scriptures flooded Rey's mind with powerful force. The vision recalled the events of the legend of the Dark Wraith and the words of warning resonated with truth. According to legend, the dark lord completely decimated the once glorious and powerful city of Solace after its residents refused to revert their "rebellious" nature and abide by the laws of the realm. A throbbing pain in Rey's temple snapped her learning mind into razor sharp focus as the Wraith continued to speak; his voice scraping her last nerve "I have brought you here to warn you- the path you've chosen requires a few dark footprints." The warning tone sent an all too familiar chill through the scavenger's blood. The Dark Wraith seemed to no longer want to battle Rey; the scarlet saber already hidden from view. As her eyes lifted from the hilt of the saber, the air began to feel smoky and hot; burning her eyes. "This has all been a test your power!" the imposing villain was now swallowed from sight in a veil of thick smoke, "Only You have the power to control your destiny!" The wraith's power was waning. Her eyes could barely distinguish the outline of the wraith and the burned world around them.

Weary but beautiful hazel blue eyes fought to stay open; searching for the wraith but the black smoke kept pouring into her. Her lungs were full of it now; she gasped violently and inhaled blood-flavored hot air. The wraith had vanished; Rey could no longer sense it's presence on the planet.

The scavenger's face was damp now with cold sweat; the increasingly hot stifling air had fully dried her wet clothing. The rising sun was gaining altitude but only gradually above the glassy Boralic Sea. Clenching her jaw with certainty, the vicious black smoke was clearing up on the wind now and the mysterious wraith was surely gone without a goodbye. Rey remained locked in her almost meditative state of confusion; with her lightsaber still engaged and at the ready as if she expected the wraith to return, or something else.

"Rey..." the sultry voice of the man she'd given her heart to was calling to her again. It's rich and soothing notes were like sweet music throughout the ruins and ghosts around her. It filled her with a new hope. Completely unsure if her path was headed for darkness or light, Rey tried to keep her fear concealed; instinctively knowing that it could be her undoing. Rey wanted to believe that the voice of her beloved Ben was leading her to him. The darkside is known for it's treachery, but Rey cast the dark wraith's warning from her mind and continued her search through the ruins. She needed clarification and wasn't ready to go home yet.

The sounds of Ben calling to her did not happen often as they always seemed to coincide with moments of peril or at a time when a vital decision must be made. In this case, both reasons were being exhausted and poor Rey as she trudged through broken towers of dead dreams. Each time she heard the sweet melody of his sultry voice saying her name, she wished he were right there with her; consoling her very soul in his powerful embrace. She gripped the handle of her lightsaber tightly; wishing it were Ben's hand.

"Rey..." the raspy velvet voice found her again and it was carried on the saltiest sea breeze Rey had ever tasted. The smoky heat of the sun was still causing her to sweat and the dark world was now fully lit up now like a summer afternoon in a junkyard kingdom. Rey squeezed her eyes closed, reaching out  with her feelings hoping to connect with her love in their precious force bond. "Be with me, Ben." She felt no immediate presence and abruptly stopped her meditation; realizing she'd prefer a safer location.

Only a few hours had passed on Cerosha since the wraith's departure and that solidified the weary wanderer's need for shelter. To go into deep meditation; it required a certain level of security. Not too far ahead of her; along the coastline appeared twin orbs of reflected light- like a signal dancing on the horizon. The presence of the twin lights encouraged Rey to take a harder look, and she reached across the sea using the force once again. Coming from the direction of the diverted dancing sunlight, she felt the existence of other life forms. Her mental map confirmed the location of Mock just a few clicks away and Rey proceeded with perfect precaution; into the bright hazy sunlight. The possibility of hearing Ben's voice would always be just enough to keep her going.