Rey, Finn, Maz, Chewie & Luke were in the Falcon, as Maz directed Rey and Chewie as they piloted the ship.
"Maz, tell me where we're going." Said Luke impatiently, beginning to become restless at being kept in the dark about the situation. Finn felt sympathetic for Luke; Rey and Chewie did not tell him they were going to visit Maz on their previous trip.
"Master Skywalker all will be revealed soon. Do not worry. What you will soon see will give you hope." She said, in an airy way.
"With all due respect, I really doubt that." Responded Luke, as he exited the cockpit alone.
Keeping her voice down, Rey whispered to Maz, "Are you sure this is going to work? Whatever you have planned will have to be good...because just look at him, he's so defeated and lost."
"Rey my dear girl, I promise you this is the best hope we have. If this does not persuade him, then nothing will." At these words Rey trusted Maz, she was seemingly correct about most things, and so wise.
"At least tell us which planet we're going to, please." Begged Finn. Chewie roared with agreement at Finn's request.
"Ok ok..." Said Maz. "But please, keep your voices down, if Luke finds out where we're going then he will not agree to go there." Taking a deep inhale she revealed the location in which they were heading; "Coruscant."
"CORUSCANT?!" Exclaimed Finn.
"What's did you say?" Came a call from Luke.
"N-nothing Master Skywalker. Chewie umm....accidentally bit me." Finn shouted back. Chewie moaned, but Finn brushed him off.
"Yes, Coruscant." Said Maz sternly. Rey then interjected.
"But Maz, surely if we go there something bad will happen. It was the home of the old government AND Jedi Temple. I heard it was flattened by bombs and rockets by the Empire."
"Rey, I assure you, the city is safe. It's not however what it used to be. You may have seen past pictures of the City, in its prime, however now the once prominent city with its huge buildings and undeniable grandeur, is essentially destroyed. The only buildings remaining in sufficient condition, are the old home of the Galactic Senate, and the old Jedi Temple. Here and there are collapsed walls and unsafe areas, but overall, we should be fine."
"So why are we going here?" Asked Rey.
"You need to learn patience Rey. You will see. Like I said...trust me." Said Maz with authority. Rey knew not to persist anymore.
As the Falcon approached Coruscant, Luke made his way back into the cockpit. He glanced out at the scenery in front of him. His face was half in disbelief, and half petrified. He had never seen Coruscant in the flesh, only in pictures.
"Is...is this Coruscant?" Asked Luke, perplexed at what was going through Maz's mind as she was bringing them here. Maz nodded to him.
"W-we can't be here. The First Order will know to keep tabs on the Jedi Temple, how stupid can you be!? Turn this ship around." Said Luke breathlessly.
"Luke calm yourself. The First Order have not step foot here for many many years. I've never once experienced any sort of problem in all of the times I have come here." Explained Maz.
"What do you mean 'all the times you've come here'? How many times?" Luke asked, still very puzzled.
"How many times? Let me think... Hmm... Let's just say I'm a regular visitor." Said Maz, "Land the ship just over there." Continued Maz, pointing towards a clear space.
The city of Coruscant was essentially submersed in the rubble of the demolished buildings that once stood prominently. Coruscant was not just the name of the city, it was the name of the planet. The city covered the entirety of the planet, and it was once the home of the Galactic Republic, and in the time of the Empire, it was branded as the Imperial Centre, until the Empire decided that the planet held remnants of the Jedi, and had to be destroyed. In the past the planet was the navigational centre of the galaxy, as its hyperspace coordinates were (0,0). Due to its location and formally around 1 trillion sentients, the galaxy's main trade routes - the Perlemian Trade Route, Hydian Way, Corellian Run and the Corellian Trade Spine ran through Coruscant, which made it the richest and most influential planet in the entire galaxy. The Galactic Standard Calender was and still is the standard measurement of time in the Galaxy, and that also centred on this planet. However the rubble, debris, wreckage and ruin which spread across this once illustrious place made all of those facts and figures seem like something merely make-believe.
The Falcon landed in front of one of the only two standing buildings - the Jedi Temple. As the group departed from the ship, Maz asked Chewbacca to stay onboard, much to his disgust. The remaining four walked towards the temple.
"This my friends, is the Jedi Temple. Home of The Great Library of the Jedi, containing the sacred Jedi Archives. If you look upwards you'll see five spires, the largest being the Tranquillity Spire, home of the former meetings of the Jedi Council. Let us enter." The other three followed in awe - even Luke. Never in his dreams had he even considered entering the historic Jedi Temple on Coruscant. They followed Maz inside. Many of the walls had crumbled over time, and the entering sunlight from holes in the walls gave an even bigger sense of an ancient and abandoned building. The red carpet on which they stood was discoloured and ripped. They walked up one set of stairs - the banisters still stood, however they looked very unsteady, and Rey & Finn both gave each other a knowing look that they shouldn't place their hands on them. They continued walking, their footsteps echoing loudly, until they found themselves in a large hall. This hall was in very good condition, unlike the rest of the building (and the planet for that matter). Rey suddenly got a chill down her spine. She could feel something lingering in this place - The Force. Before she could tell the others, Maz shouted out.
"It's Maz! I've brought someone special!" She shouted, her voice bouncing off the walls. The other three looked around in confusion, until they heard footsteps walking towards a door at the other side of the hall. The door swung open, and Luke's eyes widened with a mixture of surprise, horror and exhilaration. He didn't know what his feelings were. Out walked eight people. They seemed to be in the younger years of adulthood, similar to the ages of Rey & Finn. They were dressed up the clothes of a Jedi, each with a lightsaber clipped to their belt. Maz had a huge smile upon her face, as she began to speak.
"Young ones, meet Rey, Finn, and Luke Skywalker."
The eight young adults looked at each other in disbelief and giddy excitement.
"I told you all one day he would come. Now is the time for change, and a time for forward movement." She continued. Luke's mouth was dry. He wetted his mouth to speak;
"What's going on?" He asked Maz.
'Well Luke, in your absence, the Jedi were no longer here. And as long as you were gone, there was no plausible way in which the Jedi could develop and become an influential entity in the galaxy. So I took it upon myself to do something about it. I did intense research, I delved into the record books, and I searched far and wide for force sensitive children. And I found eight children, all force sensitive, and since then I have looked after them, cared for them, and trained them. We fixed up this hall in the Jedi Temple, and through that door is their living quarters. However, we have reached a point where I can no longer help. Yes I know the force, and I have taught these brilliant young people all I know, and I have helped as much as I can with combat training, however I can only teach them so much. I am not a Jedi, so I can therefore not make them into a Jedi. Luke it is your duty to pick up from where I have left off, and train these young ones into Jedi's. Luke, this is your new Jedi Academy."
Luke was astonished. Even with his mass of wisdom, he had not foreseen or felt that anything like this could possibly happen. Maz walked over the group of people. One by one she introduced them.
"This is Ikkra-Manu. He is an Iktotchi, from the planet Aridus. He descends from the great Jedi Master Saesse Tiin. He is strong in precognition, and is a great pilot." Ikkra-Manu was an alien with tough, hairless and reddish skin, and he had two sloping horns on either side of his head. Maz then moved on to the next person.
"This is Lascele, an Irodonian. She is independent and fearless." She was a humanoid female, with distinct horns on top of her head. Her face was pale yellow, and her eyes were focused and intent.
"This is Kayan. He is a Kel Dor. His usage of the force will be masterful once his skills have truly been developed." He had orange skin, a large upper skull, and wore masks over his mouth and eyes, as the Kel Dor species need to protect their highly sensitive eyes from light, and struggle in oxygen-rich atmospheres.
"This is Carlah, she is a Togrutan. Lightening quick reflexes, and impressive agility." She was a humanoid who had several markings upon her face, red skin, and had three head tails, which were striped, which helps the Togrutan species to blend in with their natural surroundings and act as an erogenous zone.
"This is Jatus, a Nautolen. Be kind to him and he'll be kind to you. If you anger him, his furious face may be the last thing you ever see. He descends from the Jedi Master Kit Fisto." He was an amphibious humanoid, with mottled green skin, a cartilage-reinforced skeleton, and shark-like eyes. Coming from his head were 14 green tendrils.
"This is Hashtar, a human. Acrobatic, with an intricate hand." He had slightly toned skin, very tall and jet black spiked hair.
"This is Dextra. A Twi'lek. Calculating and pragmatic, and can deceive you with her beautiful looks." She was a humanoid with twin tenticular appendages protruding from the back of her head. These prehensile appendages, are advanced organs used for communication and cognitive functions.
"And finally, this is Mina, a human. Acrobatic, and wields a lightsaber with expert ability. Brave, fearless, and a true warrior." And she did truly have the look of a warrior. Despite only being fairly small, she was incredibly beautiful. She had brown hair, and greenish-blue eyes. Finn looked at her with much admiration, until he realised that she was staring at him as she stared at her. Finn played it off as though he was looking at all of them one by one.
"This Luke, is your Jedi Academy. With these students, along with Finn & Rey, you can bring back balance. I can feel it."
"So can I." Whispered Luke. For the first time in over 14 years, he felt a feeling of hope, and a feeling of finally being able to fight.
At Maz's mention of Rey's name however, the eight students all studied her intently, as though they all knew exactly who she was. Rey noticed this, and felt uncomfortable as they all looked at her in a knowing way. She shook her head, thinking to herself that she was just simply overthinking things. Luke spoke up.
"Students. It is time to begin the true training. We will bring order to the galaxy, and the Jedi Order will rise once more!"
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