Chapter 10: Leaving

Final Farewells & Unfinished Business

Kyl stood at the entrance to the Jedi Temple, looking out at the vast cityscape of Coruscant. The sun dipped below the horizon, casting the towering skyscrapers in hues of red and gold. This world, so different from the desert plains he had once called home, had become familiar, yet it had never felt like his own.

He knew it was time to leave.

His decision had not come lightly. The Jedi had given him knowledge, training, and discipline. They had given him a place when he had nowhere else to turn. But the more he studied their ways, the more he understood that they were not his path. The Order was rigid, bound by laws and codes that denied the full depth of existence. The Sith, their sworn enemies, were equally flawed—corrupted by their thirst for domination.

No, his path lay elsewhere. Where? He did not yet know.

As he made his way through the halls of the Temple, his presence did not go unnoticed. He had spent months here, training alongside Padawans, Knights, and Masters. Some had accepted him, others had regarded him with suspicion. Few had truly understood him.

He arrived at Obi-Wan's quarters first.

"You're leaving." It wasn't a question.

Kyl nodded. "You already knew, didn't you?"

Obi-Wan sighed, folding his arms. "I suspected. You've never fully embraced the Jedi way."

"That doesn't mean I reject it entirely."

"No, but it does mean you walk a dangerous road. The galaxy is not kind to those without allegiance."

"I know," Kyl said. "But I need to see it for myself."

Obi-Wan regarded him for a moment before nodding. "Then may the Force be with you."

Next was Anakin. The younger Jedi smirked when Kyl told him.

"Can't say I'm surprised," Anakin said. "The way you think… the way you question things. You were never meant to be a Jedi."

Kyl raised an eyebrow. "And you were?"

Anakin's smirk faltered for just a moment before he chuckled. "That's different."

"Is it?"

Anakin didn't answer. Instead, he extended a hand. Kyl clasped it firmly. There was no need for words. They understood each other in ways the Jedi never could.

His last visit was to Master Yoda.

The ancient Jedi sat in his meditation chamber, as if expecting him.

"Decided, you have."

"Yes."

Yoda studied him carefully. "Alone, you wish to walk. But alone, no one truly is."

Kyl bowed. "Thank you, Master."

Yoda only nodded, closing his eyes once more.

A Quiet but Unsettling DepartureKyl's departure was not met with resistance. The Jedi did not keep those who did not wish to stay. And yet, as he stepped into the spaceport, he felt eyes upon him. A presence lingering at the edges of his awareness. Not hostile, but watchful.

Perhaps it was Windu. Perhaps it was someone else. Either way, no one stopped him.

The transport he boarded was a civilian vessel bound for the Mid Rim. He took a seat among merchants, refugees, and travelers. For the first time in months, he was just another face in the crowd.

And yet, he was not free. Not truly. The Jedi were behind him, but the Force? The Force would never leave him.

A Galaxy of PossibilitiesThe planet he chose was Nar Shaddaa.

A wretched hive of smugglers, criminals, and lost souls. If he wanted to disappear, this was the place.

The neon-lit streets were crowded with every species imaginable. Speeder traffic roared overhead. Holosigns flickered with advertisements in a dozen languages. The air was thick with the scent of oil, spice, and desperation.

Kyl found work quickly, using his skills to earn credits repairing ship components. He avoided fights, kept his head down. But in a place like this, trouble found you whether you wanted it or not.

He learned quickly that the galaxy was not divided into Jedi and Sith. There were warlords, mercenaries, freedom fighters, and criminals. There were those who did good and those who exploited the weak. And most people simply tried to survive.

One night, as he sat in a dingy cantina, a figure approached.

"You don't belong here," the stranger said.

Kyl looked up. The man was human, clad in worn armor, a blaster at his hip.

"Neither do you," Kyl replied.

The man smirked. "You've got Jedi written all over you."

"I'm not a Jedi."

"Maybe not. But someone's looking for you."

Kyl tensed. "Who?"

The man shrugged. "Dunno. But if I were you, I wouldn't stay in one place too long."

Kyl didn't answer. The man left, and Kyl sat in silence. He was being watched. The Jedi? The Sith? Someone else?

The Holocron Awakens AgainThat night, in the small apartment he had rented, Kyl sat with the holocron before him. It had remained silent since he left the Temple.

Now, it pulsed with light.

Slowly, he activated it. The familiar image of the ancient Jedi Master flickered to life.

"You have left the Jedi," the holocron said. "As I once did."

Kyl's breath caught. "You… left?"

The projection nodded. "There have always been those who walked apart. Jedi who sought knowledge beyond the Order. Sith who rejected their chains."

Kyl leaned forward. "And what did you find?"

The holocron flickered. "Truth."

Then, it went silent again.

A Mysterious Figure Takes InterestThe next day, Kyl was on the move, but so was the galaxy. He began to hear whispers—a name spoken in hushed tones. His name.

And then, in the depths of Nar Shaddaa's underbelly, he met her.

A woman, draped in dark robes, watching him from across the street. Not Sith, but not Jedi either. When he confronted her, she simply smiled.

"The Force has plans for you, Kyl Solren."

He gripped his saber. "Who are you?"

She did not answer. Instead, she placed a small data chip on the table beside them.

"If you want answers, follow the path."

Then she was gone.

Kyl stared at the chip, feeling the weight of destiny settling upon him once more.

His journey was just beginning !