In the quiet sanctuary of Lor San Tekka's dwelling on Ilthoria, the night settled in. Lor, troubled by the events that transpired with Luke earlier that day, found comfort at his old desk.

Seated in the soft glow of candlelight, Lor examined the data device Luke had entrusted to him. His brow furrowed with curiosity as he pondered the mysteries it held. R2 stood nearby, its lights flickering intermittently.

Lor, feeling a connection with the astromech droid, rose from his desk and knelt beside R2. "What is it, my little friend?" he inquired, yet received no response. The usually chatty droid remained silent and unresponsive. Suddenly, after a few flickers, the droid's lights dimmed and powered down.

Lor could feel the astromech's sorrow after it had witnessed the destruction and chaos firsthand. He placed a comforting hand on the droid's dome, trying to offer what little comfort he could.

As the night deepened, casting long shadows across the dwelling, Lor turned to his writing. The scratch of pen against paper echoed in the quiet room as he documented the events of the day. The dim candlelight painted dancing shadows on the walls.

Pausing from his writing, Lor glanced over at R2-D2, still seemingly dormant.

As the night on Ilthoria unfolded, Lor found sleep elusive.

His mind swirled with countless thoughts. Restless hours passed until dawn's gentle light cast its glow on the horizon.

When Lor rose from his troubled slumber, his gaze fell upon R2, who remained unmoving in the same place. Concern etched lines on Lor's face as he contemplated the inexplicable silence of the astromech droid.

With resolve, Lor decided that he must tell Leia what had happened to her brother and son.

He carefully brought the droid aboard his vessel, and the ship soared into the morning sky of Ilthoria.

Once beyond the planet's atmosphere, Lor activated a holographic communicator, reaching out to an old friend, Del Meeko. The blue-tinted hologram materialized, revealing Del's familiar face.

"Greetings, Lor. It's been a while," Del acknowledged with a nod.

Lor wasted no time. "Del, I need your help. I've got R2-D2 here, and I need to take him to Senator Organa. Do you know where she is?"

Del, puzzled but obliging, responded, "Senator Organa recently arrived on D'Qar. Why? Is there a problem?"

Lor hesitated briefly before deciding to disclose the truth. "I'll explain when I meet you on your ship."

"Sending our coordinates now."

Coordinates for the Corvis were received, and Lor's ship swiftly jumped into hyperspace.

Soon after, Lor San Tekka arrived in the Corvis' hangar. Del welcomed him, directed one of his crewmates to carefully extract R2 from Lor's ship, and led Lor to a more private area.

"Lor, what's going on?" Del asked with a furrowed brow.

Lor sighed heavily. "Skywalker... he's gone away," he confessed.

"Alone? Where did he go?"

Lor shook his head. "I don't know. But before he left, he told me what had happened."

Del's brows furrowed in concern as he leaned forward, eager to hear more. "What happened? What did he say?"

Lor took a deep breath, steeling himself to relay the grim tale. "He said that Ben... Ben Solo turned against him," he began. "He destroyed the temple, Del. Everything. It's gone."

Shock rippled across Del's features as he absorbed the weight of Lor's words.

"Ben?" he echoed in disbelief. "But why? How could he...?"

"Skywalker mentioned someone named Snoke. He seduced the boy to the dark side. And this droid..." he trailed off, his gaze drifting towards the silent astromech. "He was him when it happened. Since Skywalker's departure, he's been unresponsive. It's as if..."

Lor paused, struggling to find the right words.

"It's as if something within him shut down," he concluded, his voice in a whisper.

"Perhaps the droid knows where Luke was heading," Del mused aloud, turning his attention to R2, who remained silent and motionless.

Lor nodded slowly, considering the possibility. "It's possible," he agreed. "If anyone knows where Skywalker went, it's him."

A flicker of determination sparked in Del's eyes as he turned back to Lor. "Then we need to find out," he declared.

Lor nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Del," he said sincerely. Let's not waste any time. The fate of the galaxy may depend on our little friend."

The hologram flickered, as Leia stood in the confined command center for her growing Resistance base on D'Qar. On the holographic projection, Han and Chewbacca were shown as the trio were in a conversation.

"Hey, you okay?" Han asked.

Leia couldn't help but smile at Han's question, her eyes twinkling with affection. "I'm never okay without you, Han," she replied jokingly, though a hint of longing lingered in her voice.

Han chuckled softly, the sound warming Leia's heart. "We'll be back soon. Just have some business to take care of," he reassured her.

Leia rolled her eyes playfully, feigning disbelief. "Sure, Han. You just keep making those excuses," she teased, though a fondness danced in her eyes.

Han's soft laughter filled the air, a familiar melody that comforted Leia's soul. "Hey, it's the truth, isn't it?" he replied, his grin widening.

Leia's lips quirked into a smile as she glanced at Chewbacca, who offered a reassuring growl in response to Han's words. "Take care of him, Chewy," she said affectionately.

Chewbacca nodded solemnly. Han offered a wave as the hologram began to fade, his voice expressing a goodbye. "Until next time, General."

Before she could dwell on her emotions, a Resistance officer approached her with urgency in his stride.

"General, the ship Corvis has arrived," the officer announced.

Leia's eyebrows lifted in response to the unexpected news. "The Corvis?" she repeated, her curiosity piqued. "Were we expecting it to arrive?"

The officer shook his head. "No, General. We didn't receive any prior notice of its arrival," he replied.

Leia's expression hardened with determination as she processed the information. "Thank you, Captain."

She wasted no time, setting off towards the landing area where the Corvis awaited, her mind racing with questions.

As Leia began to approach the Corvis, she noticed Lor San Tekka and Del Meeko approaching her. Their expressions were grave, and Leia's curiosity turned to concern as they met.

"Lor, Del," Leia greeted them with a warm smile. "I wasn't expecting a surprise visit from my two old friends today."

The smiles on Lor and Del's faces faltered, replaced by looks of solemnity.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her voice tinged with concern.

Del glanced at Lor, silently communicating their shared decision. "We should talk somewhere privately," he suggested, his tone serious.

Leia nodded, her apprehension deepening. Together, they made their way back to the command center, finding a secluded corner where they could speak without interruption.

Leia's heart pounded in her chest as she waited for Del to speak, her mind racing with worry. "What is it?" she implored.

Del took a deep breath, steeling himself for the difficult conversation ahead. "We've brought R2-D2 back to you," he began. "There's something wrong with the droid."

Leia's brow furrowed in confusion. "Couldn't Luke fix him?" she asked, her mind racing with possibilities.

But Lor and Del remained silent, their expressions grim. Leia's stomach churned with dread as she pressed further. "Is Luke alright?" she demanded, her voice trembling with fear.

Del's gaze fell to the floor, unable to meet Leia's eyes.

"Del, tell me."

"Luke... he's gone somewhere," he admitted. "We don't know where," his voice filled with sorrow.

Leia's heart skipped a beat at the news, a sense of panic rising within her. "And Ben?" she asked.

Del's words hung heavy in the air, the weight of their truth crushing Leia's spirit. "Ben turned on Luke," he confessed, his voice thick with emotion. "He destroyed the temple."

Lor's voice joined in, adding to the devastation. "Someone named Snoke seduced him."

Leia felt as though the ground had been pulled out from beneath her feet, her world crumbling around her. Tears welled up in her eyes as she struggled to comprehend the magnitude of what had transpired.

"Is it true?" she whispered, her voice cracking with grief.

But the silence that followed was all the confirmation she needed.