The Children of the Stars

Interstellar Transmissions

Allana woke next to Valin on the bed of the Millennium Falcon. A quick glance confirmed that he was still fast asleep, although he was hissing that strange language once more.

Gently, she rolled out of the bed and onto the cold durosteel plating on the floor. She managed to cushion herself enough to make only a small thud against the grates. With the hum of hyperspace all around them, a few noises like that were bound to happen.

It wouldn't rouse Valin from his sleep, and that was the last thing that Allana wanted.

She padded softly through the ship, and stopped in the comms station, hidden in a closet-like room within the Falcon. The door slid shut and locked behind her. Valin would not be able to listen in.

Allana dialed to the correct frequency, and the holographic vision of her father appeared.

His shoulders sank in relief. "Allana, I was beginning to worry. Your comms were sparse."

"We're in hyperspace on our way to Korriban," Allana said. "I found a clue from Mum in an old Star Destroyer on Jakku. We should be there in thirteen standard hours."

"That's good," Ben said. "Where's Valin?"

Allana swallowed. "That's what I wanted to talk about."

Ben's features were grim and stern again. "What's going on?"

"We went to the observatory for clues, and we split up to cover more ground," Allana explained. "I found a holocron that Mum left— but it was corrupted, the holocron began speaking in this strange hissing language and flashed red—"

"The dark side." Ben nodded— then frowned. "I don't understand. Rey wouldn't—"

"I know— I think it was something about that place," Allana confessed. "Because right after, I heard a scream, and Valin was hurt— mysterious stomach wound, although nothing else was around and no one was there."

"Is that all?" Ben asked.

"Well, no." Allana couldn't help but look upward as she tried to piece her thoughts together, where they needed to go. "He's been off since then. He speaks that same hissing language in his sleep—"

"It's ancient Sith," Ben interrupted. "But that language is dead, forbidden— only scholars and droids speak it now, and droids are forbidden to translate it with their programming."

"I also once woke him up, and he briefly had Sith eyes, passed out, and then woke up as himself again," Allana finished. "It's very strange— and I'm a little afraid that he might wake up as not himself at some point."

"I agree, I don't like the idea of you two being alone right now." Ben considered her for a moment. "You're going to Korriban, you said?"

"Yes, the Valley of Sith," Allana said. It felt right to start there, even if that was not where Rey had told them to go. "That reminds me— well, you know of the old Imperial men that supposedly went mad and haunted the canyon around the old observatory?"

"I'd heard the stories."

"They're true— and they were very strange as well." Allana's voice kept sinking deeper and deeper into a conspiratorial tone. "They were old men, but somehow they'd survived for nearly fifty years past being abandoned in the desert— all middle-aged men at the time. They attacked Valin, but they somehow recognized me, asked me to 'free them.'"

Ben raised his eyebrows. "Did you?"

"To save Valin, yes." She tucked a stray curl behind her ear, taking in a deep breath. "They all turned to dust when I did. Became one with the Force."

"Definitely unusual," Ben agreed. "We'll have to look into that at some point, once Rey's back. She might know more about what happened there."

"I hope so."

That would make it all worth it, Allana decided mentally. If her mother could come home again, this would all be worth it.

"Anyway, Aya Tico is on the dig team in the Valley of the Sith right now," Ben said. "You might want to give her a call, maybe Sam, too. Let them know you're coming. They might be able to help you."

"I agree." Allana nodded, although she still thought of Valin's Sith eyes, and how he spoke the Sith language in his sleep—-

"I'll also be sending backup," Ben added. "I don't think you should be alone with Valin right now."

Even though Allana never planned to tell her father about her bed sharing plans and knew that wasn't what he was referencing, she couldn't help the flush to her cheeks.

"I agree," she managed.

"Your sister has a crew of Jedi— they were supposed to be looking for some artifacts, but they took a little longer than they expected fixing and testing out Serenity," Ben explained. "They're coming to you— they'll make planetfall about when you will."

"Like the old Corellian legend," Allana whispered. She recognized the name from her mother's stories. "Thank you, Dad."

"Of course." Ben nodded again, a smile on his face. "I'd do anything for my children, Allana. Remember that. May the Force be with you."

"Always," Allana whispered as the transmission ended.

She then decided to call Sam. It went to an answering machine, as it was very early in Chandrila.

But she still felt better for having passed on the message to Aya that she was coming.

But a part of her did not want to return to bed. As much as she liked Valin, it scared her, whatever had happened to him in her great-grandfather's observatory.

Hyperspace was always cold, but not like this. Allana shivered, feeling as if something— or someone— was watching her.