The stars stretched endlessly around Kai as he drifted in the quiet stillness of hyperspace, far from the chaos of the pirate skirmish. The battered remains of the old Star Destroyer faded into memory, but the encounter lingered in his mind like a bruise.
Kai leaned back in the pilot seat, glancing over the navicomputer. The galaxy felt heavy with unseen dangers and unknown paths. The bounty hunters would not stop—there was no illusion about that. Yet, despite the danger, Kai felt stronger, more certain in himself than ever before.
The question loomed: what next?
The idea of reconnecting with the Rebels tugged at him. They needed every fighter they could get, and though he had chosen solitude to find himself, he hadn't forgotten the cause. Leia, Luke, the others—they were still fighting, still standing.
But another possibility flickered at the edges of his senses.
He scrolled through nearby systems, looking for planets within reasonable reach. One caught his eye—Dagobah.
It was scarcely a blip in the databanks. No major settlements, no Imperial presence. Swamps. Dense forests. A place of isolation.
And yet, something deeper called to him.
The Force pulsed faintly when he lingered on the coordinates. It wasn't a voice, not a command—but a feeling, like a hand on his shoulder, guiding him without pressure.
Kai exhaled slowly, fingers hovering over the controls.
The Rebels could wait a little longer.
He would go to Dagobah.
And maybe, just maybe, he would find what the Force was trying to show him.
With a soft hum, the X-wing shifted course, diving toward the unknown.
Breaking through the thick, mist-choked clouds of Dagobah, Kai wrestled the controls, guiding the X-wing carefully between towering trees and gnarled roots protruding like jagged bones from the swamp. The ship landed with a heavy splash in the marsh, steam hissing up around it.
Kai climbed out, boots sinking slightly into the mud. The air was thick with moisture, the scent of decay and life blending into something primal. A heavy quietness draped the world.
He closed his eyes, letting the Force flow through him.
It was here. Whatever had drawn him, it was close.
He reached out, feeling into the currents of the Force, letting them guide his senses. The planet was alive in a way few worlds were—pulsing, breathing, ancient.
Whispers not of words but of feelings brushed against him. Echoes of light and shadow, of trials endured and wisdom lost.
Kai opened his eyes, heart pounding.
Somewhere deeper in the swamp, something waited.
He slung his satchel over his shoulder, clipped his lightsaber to his belt, and started walking—into the mist, into the unknown, following the call that had led him across the stars.
Hours seemed to pass as he waded through dense foliage and over twisted roots. The mist thickened, clinging to his skin like a second cloak. Then, almost hidden beneath a drooping canopy of vines, he spotted it—a small, crude hut, nestled against a thick gnarltree.
Kai approached cautiously, each step slow and deliberate. His senses were wide open, alert for any hint of danger or deception.
He was just a few feet from the entrance when a voice spoke from behind him.
"Looking, are you?"
Kai spun around, hand instinctively falling to his lightsaber—but there was no threat, only a small, wizened creature standing in the mist.
He hadn't sensed him. Not at all.
The being regarded him with bright, ancient eyes and a knowing smile.
Kai, stunned, lowered his hand from his weapon, heart still pounding.
Whoever this was, he was no ordinary presence.
And Kai had the sudden, unshakable feeling that he was exactly where he needed to be.