Chapter 14 - Maz Kanata (2/2)

- ”Chewie, check out the ship as best you can”- Han said when Finn and BB8 were prepared and followed them- ”That's too bad. Chewie kind of likes you.”

Han would never admit it but he was very dissapointed. He nderstood that Rey must have had her reasons but losing a promising kid was still sad. He still could ask Finn of course, but for some reason the kid did not give him a good vibe and he was hiding something so it was a risk he would not take.

After 10 minutes of walk, they carrived to the doors of the gigantic Maz Castle and when they entered, the music and happy environment exploded in great contrast to the serene vibe that the jungle gave them. Finn and Rey were taken aback by the great quantity of alien creatures that were present in the area. There were so many that even Rey who had had her fair share iof encounters with many races in Jakku could still see new and unknown kinds ofm sentient beings who were talking, shouting, negotiating, fighting and laughing in so many dialects and languages that she felt she was in the middle of a choppy sea. Han guyided them to the bar area which was even more, if that was possible, active than the trading area.

- ”General, why are we here again?”- asked Finn who was very overwhelmed by the present situation but was trying to adapt already.

- ”To get your droid on a clean ship”- replied Han looking for something.

- ”Clean?”- asked Rey who did not understand the term.

- ”You think it was luck that those pirates found the Falcon and the Garris?”- asked Han advancing through the sea of people in the bar- ”If they can find it once... then the First Order's not far behind. Wanna get BB-8 to the Resistance? Maz Kanata's our best bet.”

- ”We can trust that person, right?”- asked Finn looking around nervously trying to see any First Order agent.

- ”Relax, kid. She's run this watering hole for a thousand years”- said Han smiling at the idea of seeing Maz after so long- ”Maz is a bit of an acquired taste... so let me do the talking. And whatever you do, don't stare.”

- ”At what?”- asked both Finn and Rey at the same time.

- ”Any of it”- said Han seeing that Finn and Rey was staring at many customers, seriously these kids looked like country bumpkins who were in the city for the first time.

Two big bodyguards stood in front of them stoppingf the group from continuing their path. Oner of them was a Trandoshan while the other was a Falleen and they both were imposing and completely threatening. Immediately Han and Finn put their hands on their blasters and Rey took her quarterstaff all ready to act any second.

- Hanss Ssolo- said the Falleen in a very hissing tone similar to the one a serpent would do but his Basic was understandable- ”the Boss wantss to ssee you in private... accompany uss...”

It sounded polite enough but their manner of conduct seemed to tell that they would not accept any rejection. However, Han just relaxed and nodded to the rest and allowewd the two bodyguards to lead them to the Boss. They entered for different corridors and Rey started to believe this was just a laberynth and thought that she would get lost before arriving to anywhere. Finally they entered a very wide and luxurious corridor that led to a big gate of double doors which was protected by two Zabrak warriors that looked at them with such intensity that they were sure they would attack them at any show of hostility. Finally they entered to the room and they were surprised to see the grandiouse and exquisite design of the walls and floor which was full of tapestry and ornaments from different materials and styles but they were placed in such stting that it only gave a feeling of superb taste. There was a low table where many food, fruit and drinks were served and many aromatic herbs were burning all around. In the farthest end of the table they saw a small reddish humanoid who seemed to be expecting them.

- ”Han Solo!”- she shouted while opening her arms at the vision of the smuggler.

- ”Oh, boy”- said Han looking at his friend who seemed to have not changed at all- ”Hey, Maz!”

Han introduced Finn, Rey and BB8 to the pirate queen and she looked at them with those big and curious eyes that had always been keen to recognized valuable and extraordinary trinkets.

- ”You're getting old or you really are losing your touch...”- said Maz after inviting them all to sit down looking at Han with a playful expression- ”you know this place is infested by the worst scum in the galaxy and you dare to enter like its your backyard... I don't know if you are daring or stupid.”

- You're one to talk when you're like 900 years my senior”- said Han using his negotiaiton tone since he knew Maz preferred the frank tone- ”of course I know what kind of people are here but you know as well as me that no matter where I went the result would be the same so I came to the safest destination, plus, you know me... I loved big entrances”

Han's smug acting made Maz laughed and he called one of her ȧssistants and whispered something on her ear.

- ”Unfortunately I know that, but that's why you are the famous person you are after all- said Maz Kanata after dispatching her ȧssistant- ”However, it was really necessary to bully those poor pirates like that? Even us have to have certain limits, you know?”

- ”I tried to talk...”- said Han with an innocent voice- ”they didn't want to listen...”

- ”Normally that's what happens when you taunt the younglings”- said Maz laughing- ”Where's my boyfriend?”

- ”Chewie's working on the Falcon.”- said Han grinning at the expression in her face.

- ”Gosh! I love that Wookiee”- she said and then she accomodated on her seat and turned her shining eyes to Han once more- ”I ȧssume you need something. Desperately. Let's get to it before the bounty hunters and The First Order arrive. They must have been informed already.”

Orbit of StarKiller Base - Star Destroyer Finalizer

Kylo Ren was levitating in lotus position and meditating while having multiple objects floating around him. There was, however, an object that was placed reverently in altar just in front of him. This was a treasure that helped him focus and immerse in the dark side more easily. The object had been recovered from the space renmants of the Second Death Star and Ren had managed to get it as a gift from the Supreme Leader many years before he had accepted gone to the Dark Side.

- ”Just a mere token of my appreciation for you...”- had said his now master in that time.

At the time, he was still an ignorant and weak Jedi so of course, he had felt hesitant and even disgusted by the object which had a strong connection to darkness but once he started to discover the secrets of the dark side, he noticed that it helped him by leaps and bounds in his understanding not only about the dark side but of the Force in general. It had given him enlightment in the Dark Side and it had given him a strength vastly superior to the one he had when he was a Jedi Knight.

- ”You cannot study just a part of a subject...”- had said his master- ”you need to understand the Force entirely... you have already uderstood the light, now you ust complemented with the dark in order to master the Force and use it as you wish.”

Even after all these years, the object in front of him still was of great use for him. He still felt that strange connection with it and he knew it was natural since it was an object that belonged to one of the most powerful Sith Lords in the history of the galaxy. Now it would help him to have the ability necessary to face and defeat Luke Skywalker and take his place among the greatest and most powerful Sith Lords, maybe even greater than the one who had possessed the object in front of him. In that moment someone called the door. The interruption was annoying since he flet that he was advancing farther than normal but he knew that if someone dared to bother him, it must be something important. He stopped levitating and all the objects floating around returned to their original positions.

- ”Yes...”- he said by the intercom.

- ”Lord Kylo Ren”- said the voice of an officer on the oither side of the door- ”General Hux informs that everything is rerady for the weapon launching and our informants have found Han Solo in the planet Takodana in the Western Reaches.”

- ”Prepare everything for a large scale attack on the planet”- ordered Ren with a very decisive voice- ”I'll be personally leading the forces this time!”

- ”Yes, Sir!”- said the officer before heading to make the preparations.

- ”Han Solo...”- Kylo Ren whispered while trying to control his feelings. It had been a while since the last time he had seen him but he was decided to make it the last one.

He turned and observed the object that had led him to the dark path he now walked in and he felt his emotions calm down and a huge sense of resolution flooded him.

- ”I won't fail this time...”- he said but none could be sure to whom he was talking to. He put on his helmet and took his lightsaber before finally getting out of his room.

The object just stayed there as a silent witness of years accompanying Kylo Ren. If someone else saw the object they would feel horrified and shocked since it was not a pretty but the opposite and many would confuse it for the skull of an ancient and powerful monster that had caused millions of death and devastation and they would still be correct since even if it was not a skull, it had been the helmet of a creature similar to the one mentioned before.

It was the deformed and mangled helmet of the powerful Sith Lord Darth Vader.