Star Wars - The Gray Jedi - Chapter 8 - Welcome to Bogano.

[Chapter Size: 1800 Words.]
Third Person POV
Bracca.
...

...

In the middle of space, the Stinger Mantis emerged from hyperspace, slowing from its high velocity to a more controlled speed, its windows reflecting the light of the twin suns nearby.
Bogano is a planet with a peculiar mix of simplicity and mystery, featuring vast green plains interrupted by canyons and glowing orbs of water shimmering under the light of the twin suns shining in space. The planet could be described as mostly swamps and plateaus, in other words.

"It's better to wake them up," Greez remarked, gazing at the planet through his window. Cere nodded in agreement, leaving the cockpit and heading to the middle of the ship, where Cal and Prauf were asleep. Cal, however, already knew they had arrived at their destination, waking after receiving a response through the Force.

"You're awake," Cere approached him, observing him closely, still intrigued by him.

"Yes, we're finally going to see Bogano," Cal said, standing up as Prauf stirred awake at that moment.

"Hm?! What a headache. I had such a strange dream... that Cal was a Jedi," Prauf muttered groggily, still waking up. Cal, unfazed, passed by Cere and made his way to the cockpit of the ship.

There, he saw the Mantis nearing the planet's orbit.

"You better be careful not to blow anything up here, got it?!" Greez looked at him a bit nervously, grumbling in his usual way, fearful that Cal might accidentally destroy the cockpit—an act that would mean certain death in the middle of space.

The ship finally began entering the planet, but the transition from zero gravity to the atmosphere was imperceptible to those inside. The vessel descended rapidly, with the clouds being the only thing visible as they sped toward the planet's surface.

"Is this real?! Everything that happened wasn’t a dream!" Behind them, Prauf could be heard having an epiphany, realizing that all he had believed to be a dream was reality.

Cere had already arrived at the cockpit, standing next to Cal while everyone ignored Prauf, watching as the ship finally emerged from the clouds and advanced toward the ground. The green surface of the planet came into view.

"What do you know about this planet?" Cere asked Cal, looking at him.

"It's off the Empire's radar. Actually, 'unexplored' is the right word, as it’s not listed on any galactic map. Yet you knew its location, expecting to find a Jedi here," Cal explained, and Cere nodded at his reasoning.

"Yes... this is the only hope we have to rebuild the Jedi Order after its fall more than five years ago," she said, and Cal nodded, waiting for her to continue, his tone cautiously neutral.

"However, a Holocron, as you mentioned, can only be opened by a Jedi. Can you do that?" she asked, concerned, as there was no certainty about whether Cal could perform the task.

"We could test it. Don’t you have one aboard, from Master Obi-Wan?" Cal asked, making Cere frown, puzzled by how much Cal seemed to know about her, as though he knew all her secrets.

"Come with me," she murmured, heading to one of the still-intact cabins, passing by Prauf, who was still in shock. She entered and retrieved a Holocron.

She handed it to Cal, who studied it for a moment before channeling the light side of the Force. At first, nothing happened, but the next moment, it glowed and began to float, its parts disassembling and orbiting around him. Above it, a message from none other than Obi-Wan Kenobi appeared.

"This is Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. I regret to inform you that both the Jedi Order and the Republic have fallen," the Jedi Master's voice echoed from the message.

"I urge everyone to avoid contact with clones, as they are now our enemies..." The message continued but was cut short as Cal closed the Holocron, returning it to its original cube form.

"Looks like it worked," Cal remarked, and Cere nodded with a sigh.

"You said that my master, Edo Cordova, has a Holocron that we’ll find directly in these ruins?" Cere asked, trying to understand what Cal knew about the future. Master Cordova was her master, but she didn’t feel the need to explain that to Cal—after all, he seemed to already know somehow.

"Yes... one that contains a list of all Force-sensitive children born a few years ago. My goal is to take these children to a safe planet, one even farther from the Empire's reach than this one. We’ll train them for years and then return to overthrow the Empire," he stated his plan again, while Cere nodded, sighing, and hoping this plan would change the future Cal had spoken of.

The ship finally began nearing the surface, and everyone inside felt it banking in the air, searching for a landing spot. Cal and Cere returned to the cockpit, with Prauf curiously gazing out of the window.

Cal looked at the planet as they flew over it, trying to identify where they were.

"There, stop the ship near that tower," Cal requested, spotting the vault built by the ancient Zeffo civilization when they fled their home planet, Zeffo, and came here seeking refuge.

"Easier said than done. There’s no safe place to land near that thing," Greez grumbled, pointing at a map on his panel, showing the entire unstable region. Though it was made of canyons, he didn’t even try to get close.

"That’s fine. Head for any place where we can put the Mantis down," Cal said.

"Hold on, I’m the captain here. Don’t tell me what to do, kid," Greez complained, while Cal shrugged.

The ship continued flying until it finally found a place to land. It began descending slowly, tilting its wing upward and rotating slightly before setting down on one side. The metallic landing gear extended, touching the ground with a small jolt that everyone on board felt.

"We’ve landed," Greez announced, breaking the silence. "Prepare yourselves for... I don’t know, more explosive surprises, maybe?" He spoke, analyzing the scene ahead—a plain full of grass and swamps.

The view of the planet was rather... serene. Prauf, standing near Cere, observed it with a mix of fascination. "All of this is real... I never imagined seeing a planet this green... without all that junk everywhere," he murmured in awe.

"Well, I guess we shouldn’t waste any more time. Open the doors," Cal requested. Greez didn’t argue, pressing a button in the cockpit.

Quickly, the door on the side of the ship began to open with a faint mechanical sound, while a platform extended to the ground like a bridge.

Cal nodded, rolling his shoulders slightly before turning toward the corridor of the ship.

"Wait, you’re heading out already?" Cere asked immediately, looking at Cal. She wanted more details.

"I was ready to go, but I suppose we can talk a bit first," he said, gesturing for everyone to follow him to the next room.

Cere and Prauf were the first to move, while Greez grumbled in his chair but eventually joined them in the middle of the ship, sitting on the main couch like the others. They all watched as Cal stood, examining the map of the planet displayed on a computer set in the center of the seating area.

After studying the terrain for a moment, Cal turned back to them. "I’ll be heading there alone, as I already mentioned," he said, looking at Prauf. "You’ll stay with them."

Prauf nodded, somewhat hesitant. There wasn’t much he could do to object. Satisfied with the response, Cal continued, "We won’t have any problems here, so don’t worry about the Empire hunting us. If you’re concerned we might be attacked, you can relax," he said to the ship’s captain. Greez looked visibly relieved at those words.

"Then, are we going to retrieve the Holocron and start looking for this planet you said we’d go to?" Cere asked.

Cal shook his head. "Not even close. I won’t be able to retrieve the Holocron right now, as the Zeffo vault is sealed and without a key."

"Wait, what do you mean by that? Are you saying we came all this way for nothing?" Greez immediately complained.

"Calm down, Greez. I believe you’re supposed to meet someone here," Cere murmured.

Cal nodded. "Exactly. Her master's hologram will appear to me. He’s the person I need to find, but also his old droid. The droid is the key to unlocking the vault. After all, we’ll have to visit three more planets after this one before we can open the vault. But don’t worry, we’ll figure it out." Cal gave a reassuring smile.

"I just hope I don’t die before that happens," Greez muttered, but Cal ignored him.

"Anyway, I’m heading out. I’ll be back soon, everyone," Cal said as he adjusted his clothes—still the same ones he wore as a scrapper on Bracca. Confirming that his lightsaber was securely fastened to his belt, he made his way to the airlock, stepping out of the ship into the bright daylight illuminated by the planet’s twin suns.

As Cal exited the ship and set foot on the planet’s surface for the first time, he felt the warmth of the sun on his skin. The air was much fresher than anything he had ever breathed on Bracca. However, the hum of mosquitoes and other insects filled the air, with some buzzing around his feet—a sensation he hadn’t experienced in years.

"Wow, this is so refreshing," he murmured, smiling. He closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and savoring the feeling of being on a planet where he could experience such pure air. When he opened his eyes again, he turned his attention to the horizon around him.

In the distance, all he could see were rocks, swamps, and sparse vegetation, with animals moving about everywhere. He was well aware of the dangers lurking in this place; despite the absence of any civilization on the planet, many creatures called it home.

Still, far away, he could make out the tower that housed the Zeffo vault. It was much farther than he remembered, and he estimated it would take at least two or three days to reach it. He couldn’t complain, though, and decided to press on, taking his first steps. The sound of his boots echoed softly against the grass and dirt of the plains as he advanced.

Inside the ship, Cere, Greez, and Prauf watched Cal from a distance, each with a different expression and their own thoughts. Now embarked on a journey of no return, they hoped that this peculiar young man would succeed as confidently as he spoke. They watched him walk farther and farther away from the ship, heading toward the massive tower on the horizon, his stride steady and filled with purpose.