Hearts of Rebels | Star Wars Fanfiction

Chapter XXIV

The ominous fog of the jungle began clouding the edges of the swamp more and more as she drew closer to the cave. Before it was even in sight, she felt the unnatural dread and fear that slammed against her, something she hadn't felt since her last encounter with Vader.

The closer she got, the further reality seemed to wander. The cave's mouth seemed to widen and stretch into a malevolent grin. The roots wiggled into rot ridden teeth and the vines twisted and knitted together to form lips. As soon as the sinister grin had formed the image disintegrated, and the grin returned to the mouth of a cave.

Why was she doing this? What was she hoping to find in that cave? Well, the obvious answer was what had troubled Luke, but in the long run, Rhea wondered if the Jedi Masters words had any truth to them. Maybe she would be shown more than what she wanted, or perhaps nothing at all.

Finally working up the courage, she walked to the entrance of the cave. It seemed full of malice, and dark whispers of evil beckoned her into the open maw of the ancient cave.

She took a breath, then another and allowed the musty air to exit her lungs. She took a glance back to the clearing. It had gone eerily quiet until a bogwing fluttered across the clearing crowing. The constant drone of bugs and the occasional squawk returned to her ears.

Did she imagine all this, was it the force? Or maybe the cave was making her mad. Either one seemed as unlikely as the last. Yoda's words of wisdom echoed in her mind as she looked at the twisted root he'd sat on when showing Luke the cave.

"What's in there?"

"Only what you take with you,"

She unclipped the leather belt and holster that held her blaster. It fell into the swamp with a splash, a small lizard cried out and crawled from underneath the blaster's heavyweight.

The creature's pain went unnoticed to Rhea though. She had her full attention on the cave's opening. She stepped over the belt and into the cave, ignoring the fearful thought on whether she'd see Dagobah's dreary sky again.

The inside of the cave was covered in furry vines. Snakes crisscrossed in front of her draped themselves across various roots, and cobwebs hung down from the roof of the cave down to the floor. She had to remind herself there was worse than snakes and spiders.

She recalled an eventful meet and greet with a Hutt and his mechanically altered pet on Nar Shaddaa where she and Luke had overstayed their welcome. Somehow the slobbering jaws of a towering beast and his equally slobbery owner weren't as terrifying as these small, slithery, slimy reptiles. She shuddered as one slid across her shoulder to reach its destination.

She was losing her fear of the cave as she went on. Maybe nothing happened since she wasn't like Luke and Yoda. Or because she left her weapon behind? She was almost getting bored as the tunnel thinned and the cave was getting colder the further she moved on. She ruffled up the collar of her jacket and pulled it closer, trying to fend off the cold from her neck.

That's when she finally heard something, something familiar but too far away. The sound rushed to her and would have hit her head on if it was a physical object.

"Get out of there Biggs!"

"Wait!"

Rhea stopped mid-step immediately. The cave was silent again, then the sound of an explosion rushed down the tunnel.

"NO, Biggs!"