A chill passed through Kalder's body, even though he stood in the bright sunlight just past the fringe of the forest. He glanced toward the refresher area. He could have sworn he had seen a man near the one on the end.

Another wave of frigidity trickled straight down his spine. He whipped his head around, noticing something in the trees behind the refreshers. He sprinted into the woods, but he never caught up with it. He stopped in the middle of the trail and opened himself to the Force.

He shut out everything—the loudspeakers blaring the political speeches, the military units surrounding the perimeter, everyone nearby. Radiating from his position, he stretched out with the Force. As the wave passed, branches swayed, creatures chittered, dust moved. He tuned in to the Force, picking up its faint strumming on the cords of his soul.

He stood there for many minutes, extending his senses. Time slipped away.

"Kalder!" Kallay shook his shoulder. "Kalder!"

His Force-wave halted. The swell snapped back into his body and sent him reeling, his mind plunging in the violent tide and swirling eddies of the Force.

"What do you think you're doing, going into a trance alone?" Her face tensed with worry.

"I-I felt something. Had to investigate. Lost it." His speech came out in staggered sentences and gasps. "I don't know what it was."

She stared down the trail and strangled back a sob. "Tell me, what did you see?"

"A man, a little over two meters. Broad shoulders. Headed into the forest with purpose."

"What was he wearing?"

"Jedi combat uniform. But—"

"But what?" Tears trickled down her face.

Kalder took her into an embrace and held her against his shoulder. "I'm sorry. It wasn't Wei'ahtt."

"How do you know?" She pushed away from him and turned down the path.

"Kallay."

"He's come back, Kalder. To protect us from that Gorax. I know it's him."

He grabbed her to him. "It's dangerous, Kallay. Eight of us couldn't handle him. What makes you think you could?"

"You have your strengths. I have mine. My intuition has never been wrong."

He lowered his head. "You're not thinking straight. Your grief is messing with your mind, Kallay. You know how it can affect our Force senses, too." He drew her close to him once more. "You've got to let him go."

"I-I c-c-can't. " Her words blubbered out through congestion. She wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I-I n-n-never told him, Kalder. I never told him I love him." Her quiet whimpers transformed into an onslaught of tears.

"Sh. You're jumping to conclusions, Kallay. We don't know."

She stared deep into the forest. "And I feel the light right now. It's down there. I know it's him. He's come to save us."

"I feel the light right now, too. Whatever that is, it's part of the Force and nothing to be feared. But it has its own agenda." He brushed her hair out of her eyes. "Besides, if he were Wei'ahtt, he would have come straight to you."

"You think so?"

"Look, there are so many lifeforms between us and the cruiser, there's no way you could feel just one person. " He tilted her chin up with his finger. "He loves you, you know."

"Then why didn't he say anything?"

"He's from Ezzel."

"So?"

"The women pursue the men there, or don't you remember your Galactic Cultures studies?" Kalder smiled warmly at her. He wrapped one of her an errant curls around his finger. "He thinks you're rejecting him. And you keep your shields so tight, even I can't read you anymore."

She lowered her eyes and smiled.

"Ceremony's almost done. I know Tandolleau's taking the shuttle up to see Jannah. You should go with him." 

She shook her head.

"He might need you. Jannah's in worst shape." Kalder wiped a tear from her cheek. "And I think Wei'ahtt would want you there when he revives."

"If."

"When." He frowned at her. "Hey, I'm supposed to be the stubborn one."

Kallay bit her lower lip and molded her face into set determination. "So, what are we going to do about this Force disturbance?"

"Tell Master Luke?" Kalder winked at her.

They both laughed. "I'm sure he'll want to investigate. Looks like the ceremony's over now."

"And Wei'ahtt?" Kalder asked.

Kallay lifted her chin and smiled broadly. "I think we have some things to discuss. He'd better not take the easy way—"

"Hey, Kalder, Kallay, you guys see a little girl go past here?" Han interrupted them.

The Wookiee stood next to him, his bowcaster out and his snout whiffing the scents on the breeze.

"An Ewok?" Kallay asked.

"Yes, well, no, but she was dressed like an Ewok. About so high." Han held his hand at his waist.

"Han! What's going on?" Leia to the huddled group. "Where's Rey?" Fire glistened in her eyes.

"Uh, well, she had to use the refresh—"

"You let a five-year-old go to the refresher on her own?" She advanced on the scoundrel and balled her fists.

He caught her arms right before her first punch struck home. "Hey, I was right outside the door, watching the ceremony. When I looked inside, she was gone."

"I'll bet."

Chewie chimed in.

"Senator Zhaka? Really, Han? Ogling—"

Luke approached the group with the rest of the Jedi. "What's going on, Leia?" Naluma hung back and leaned against a tree.

"Rey's missing."

Kalder said, "Kallay and I both felt—"

Terrifying screams echoed through the trees.

Leia grabbed Han's arm. "Rey!"

Luke was the first down the path, his lightsaber lit and swinging as he raced over the tree roots and pounded the loam. The rest followed closely on his heels.

Ben froze.

The beast was uglier than he remembered. He must have broken off the last tendons as only the stump of his arm remained. The Gorax tottered off balance without all of his toes.

But what petrified Ben was what the creature clutched in his left claw—Rey.

I can't. He's too big. I'm going to fail. She's going to die. I can't watch. 

The boy swiveled his hover chair around and hid his head.

A voice echoed in his head. Skywalkers aren't cowards. Blue mist surrounded him.

"Solos are. We're really good at running."

The mist formed into a hazy figure that Ben could not quite make out. I can't hold him off forever, Ben. Only you can save her.

"I'm afraid."

You should be. If you don't do anything, you'll be next. The hazy figure surrounded his chair and shook it. It threatened to capsize.

Rey's screams grew weaker as the beast clutched against the blue mist holding him back.

"I'm only a Padawan. Even the Jedi couldn't save Jannah and Wei'ahtt."

The mist morphed more into the shape of a man. Ben discerned dark Jedi robes, dark curly locks, a lightsaber swinging at his belt. Search your feelings, Ben. You love her.

"No, I don't. I don't love her." He hid his head and covered his ears in a vain attempt to shut out Rey's terrifying screams.

If you don't do something, she will die. Even if you fail, at least try.

Tears flowed down his eyes. 

"You're a Skywalker. Skywalkers don't let Skywalkers die." This time, the words echoed in the grove, not just his head.

"Why does love have to hurt so much?" Ben craned his neck at the form. "Who are you?"

"Skywalker." The mist dissipated. 

"Grandfather?" Ben closed his eyes and sat up straight, pulling the Force into him. He swiveled his chair and rolled toward the Gorax.

Rey's squeals pierced his ears. "Help!"

With the Force, he tossed a rock at the creature's head. "Hey, Big Fella, you wouldn't want to eat her."

The troll growled at Ben.

"Yeah, that's right. Look at me." With his hands shaking in fear, he steered the hover chair into the monster's line of sight. "I don't move that fast. I'm bigger. You wouldn't even taste her going down. What's the point?"

The beast lifted his arm in the air and shook the little girl.

Rey screamed as he took her higher. The blue mist fought against the arm, but the arm still inched higher.

Ben gulped. He inhaled a cleansing breath to steady his nerves. "Easy, boy. Why don't you pick on someone your own size?" Padawan Solo struck at the beast's small toe, the only one left on his right foot. His lightsaber barely made a dent.

"Ben, help me!"

"I'm trying." He closed his eyes and stretched forth his hand. With the Force, he slammed a discarded tree into the giant's arm. "I'll catch you!"

"Ben!"

"Trust me."

He picked up a boulder and then another tree. He pelted the creature with whatever he could find.

The Gorax roared and waved his arm, shaking Rey up and down as he tried to block the onslaught. With his right hand out of commission from the previous battle, the beast struggled to hold onto the girl.

Ben looked up to see Rey opening her mouth wide. "Rey! No! He's poisonous! Don't bite him!"

She pulled away just in time.

The boy sped his hover chair into the monster's leg, colliding with it, backing up, colliding with it again. "Hey, stupid! I'm down here."

The beast kicked at the small chair, sending it careening against a tree. Ben tumbled out of it while smoke spewed upward.

He planted his feet firmly in his favorite opening position and ignited his lightsaber. The blue blade glowed in the dusky forest, humming throughout the grove.

With a speed he had never used before, he charged the beast's legs. He swung his lightsaber with all his might, following the Djem So lightsaber drill patterns.

The beast didn't even budge.

Panting heavily, he attacked again, climbing the beast's leg. A second later, he flew across the the grove. He sprawled in front of a trunk, not daring to look at Rey. A few more seconds, and the little girl would be only a memory.

"Help!" he cried with all his might sending it forth with the Force.

He scrambled to his feet and charged once more.

You'll never win that way. Quick!

Ben looked behind him for the source of the voice. Blue footprints traveled up the side of a pupagi tree. The monarch tree extended seventy meters above the forest floor, with the first branches extending around the giant's arms.

"Ben!" The panic in Rey's voice shattered him.

Oh, no. I was too late. His heart twisted into a knot that sent a sharp pain through his intestines.

The Force stirred. 

A second scream came, and his being filled with joy. 

He slashed at the beast again, but the lightsaber failed to cut deeply enough. Flesh sizzled while the tang of singed hair flooded the area.

As Ben reached for the next handhold in the rough bark, the strip peeled off the tree and sent him tumbling to the ground. His lightsaber extinguished as he rolled in the dirt.

Use the Force, Ben. Jump!

He stared at the nearest limb, twenty meters away. "I can't. It's too far."

She's going to die if you don't do something. Jump! His grandfather materialized in front of the youth. Now! Only you can save her, Ben. Jump!

The teen watched as the beast brought the little girl to his mouth. He growled and yawned, stretching his maw wide open.

"Never!" The Padawan ran toward the tree and leaped into the air. Propelling himself with the Force, he grabbed onto the limb and pulled himself onto it.

The wide branch extended over ten meters and was at least a half meter wide. Ben ignited his blue saber and charged at the beast.

The neck, Ben. The weak spot is on the back of the neck.

Ben raced across the branch, barely touching it as his legs pumped. He jumped onto the arm and sprinted over the shoulder to the hulking back of the creature.

Sever the spinal cord.

The youth spared a glance for the girl, still grasped in the clutches of the monster. The beast swatted at Ben. When it struck, the Padawan ducked behind the creature's neck.

The boy grasped the saber in both hands and punctured the thin skin at the junction of the skull and spine. He pulled the blade from side to side, sawing at the spinal cord, until the creature fell limp.

As the Gorax crumpled in on himself, Ben lost his balance. He clutched at the skin and yelled, "No!"

Rey tumbled from the giant's grasp. 

As Ben plummeted, he reached out with the Force and caught the little girl before she hit the ground. His own body crashed to the forest floor with a thump. Battered, he grabbed her in his other arm and rolled out of the way of the toppling troll.

The forest shook as the beast impacted the ground, leaving a large depression.

"Ben, you saved me." Rey lifted her bruised face and kissed him on the cheek. "You're my hero."

As the forest fell into darkness, the last thing he saw was the ghostly image of his grandfather. "Mine, too, Grandson."

Ben stretched out his hand toward the spirit as he faded into oblivion.