The return to Outrider Station was uneventful on the surface. Aris slept most of the journey wrapped in a thermal blanket in the back of Voro's truck. Karn Vox rode silently beside Kael in the front, helmet in his lap, occasionally glancing at the girl as if to confirm she was still breathing.
The speeder crested the last ridge just as the twin suns began to rise behind them. Outrider Station's hangar entrance opened like the mouth of a slumbering behemoth, welcoming them back into the deep rock shelter that now served as the staging ground for something far bigger than any of them had yet realized.
[ Outrider Station – Operative Count: 4 ]New Arrival: Aris – Latent Force-Sensitive (Untrained)Dormitory Wing Assigned: Room C-2Loyalty Flag: SafeSuggested Action: Conduct Force Aptitude Evaluation | Begin Emotional Stability Calibration
Kael carried Aris inside himself, declining Ghost's offer to help.
She was still so small.
Voro followed quietly, dragging one of the confiscated tech crates. Inside: the stolen Republic-grade disruptors and two crates of slaver currency Kael had no intention of using.
Vox, ever silent, took one long look at the interior of the station before nodding in approval.
"Not bad," he said. "Hidden, reinforced, clean lines. Looks like it's meant to last."
"It will," Kael replied.
Later, in the dim light of the Command Core, Kael reviewed the girl's scan results with Ghost and Voro at his side.
Subject: Aris'nel (Aris)Species: Twi'lekMidichlorian Count: High Tier 2 / Approaching Tier 1Potential: Unknown – Blocked SignatureNote: Latent potential may be sealed or fragmented. Possible trauma or interference.
Kael frowned. "She doesn't just have potential — it's buried. Something's dampening her connection."
Voro crossed her arms. "Slavers sometimes inject suppressant cocktails if they know a kid's valuable. Keep them docile. Profitable."
"I saw no scar marks," Kael said. "No implants. No drugs in her bloodwork."
Ghost offered another theory. "Could be metaphysical. Suppression via trauma or Force interaction. Possible artifact influence."
Kael's eyes shifted to the edge of the console — where the cracked red kyber crystal taken from Darth Maul's stolen case still rested, locked inside a containment field.
He stared at it for a long moment.
Then looked toward the sealed training room.
"I want to test something."
Kael stood alone in the reinforced training chamber, the crystal now secured in a transparent durasteel case at the room's center. Aris stood across from him, cautious but curious, her blanket traded for a borrowed flight jacket that dwarfed her frame.
"Why am I here?" she asked softly.
Kael knelt before her.
"I want to show you something. You don't have to touch it. Just… be near it."
She hesitated. "Is it dangerous?"
"It was," Kael said. "But now it's just… broken."
He activated the case's proximity sensors and stepped back. The dim red crystal pulsed faintly, throbbing with irregular rhythm — like a fractured heartbeat.
Aris took a slow step forward.
Nothing.
Then another.
The crystal flashed.
She stopped cold.
And suddenly, the room filled with a rising hum. A low resonance — not from the speakers, not from the walls. From within her.
[ Alert: Force Resonance Detected ]Subject: Aris'nelStatus: Latent Force Potential – Active ContactEffect: Crystal Response – Fragmented Dark Alignment ResonanceWarning: Dual-Pole Instability Detected
Kael's heart jumped.
Aris stumbled, reaching toward her head. "It's… loud…"
Kael dashed forward and pulled her away, breaking the contact.
The hum died instantly.
Aris gasped, eyes wide, tears streaking down her cheeks.
"I heard… voices." Her voice shook. "They were angry. Cold. Afraid."
Kael held her steady, kneeling beside her as she trembled. "It's okay. You're okay. You didn't do anything wrong."
She looked up at him, voice barely audible. "What is that thing?"
Kael gently pushed a lock of her lekku back behind her shoulder. "Something that was used for pain. But you're not going to be like that. You're going to be more."
That night, Aris slept in the dormitory, her room sealed and monitored by a gentle field to prevent Force-induced nightmares from causing harm. Ghost had reinforced the room and installed new biometric monitors.
Kael stood with Vox and Voro in the command center, reviewing the scans.
"Her aura's unstable," Voro said. "Two sides pulling in opposite directions."
"She's not evil," Kael said quickly.
"I didn't say she was," Voro replied. "But I am saying she'll need guidance."
Vox folded his arms. "The Jedi'll come looking eventually. That kind of power doesn't stay hidden forever."
"They'll want to take her," Kael muttered.
"They might even try," Vox added.
Kael looked at the holocam feed — Aris, sleeping peacefully now.
"Not while I'm alive."
[ MercNet Update: Aris' Bond Increased – Now at Level 2 (Trust) ]Ability Unlocked: Empathic Pulse (Passive – Detect nearby emotions & intentions)New Room Constructed: Meditation Niche – Base Facility UpgradeXP Gained: +1,200Unique Quest Unlocked: "The Broken Bond" – Investigate the origin of the fractured kyber crystalOptional Reward: Tier II Weapon Blueprint | Force Affinity Catalyst
Before turning in, Kael accessed the Summon Chamber menu.
[ Summon Token Cooldown: 6 Days Remaining ]Tier I Summon – Combat / Tech / StrategicTier II Bonus Available: Based on current facility upgradesWarning: Total Base Capacity (4/8) – Next Expansion Required for New Summon After Tier II
He exhaled slowly.
"Everything's changing," he whispered.
Behind him, the station hummed quietly — no longer just a base.
It was becoming a home.
And soon, it would become a fortress.