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Almost no one else in the Jedi Order remembers their family. Or if they did, they didn't talk about it.Alora remembers. The memories are faint but they're there. As real as can be.Alora was just a child when she was entered into the Jedi training programs. Just four years old.She used to dream of her mother, in the first few years at the Temple. Her mother had the kindest eyes. They were dark but soft. Stars scattered through them like the night sky. You could look into her eyes and see the galaxy before you.Eyes are the windows to the soul. Alora's always believed this. The memory of her mother's eyes fuels that belief and it's the first thing that she observes when she's face-to-face with someone, whether it be a friend or a foe.These droids... these despicable droids... were lifeless. Their eyes were void and dark and mechanical as they analyzed the battlefield through the mind of a computer. Void of emotion and decency as they annihilated innocent people and societies.Din watches from afar, standing like a ghost in the distance. No one can see him, no one can sense him. But it's as if he's a part of this memory. The terrain of Ryloth lays out around him and young Alora is surrounded by a group of Separatist droids in a canyon. He can feel the wind grazing his skin and the dirt below his boots. Din can feel Alora's hands in his, holding their connection so that he can see her memories. The sensation of her skin against his is like an echo and sometimes he looks to his hand, expecting to see her standing by his side.The sight of young Alora is jarring, and, at the same time, fascinating. Her long dark hair is tied back into a loose and messy braid, and some loose strands of hair fall around her face and neck. Flyaways flick into her eyelashes and stick to the sweat on her neck as she stares up at the droids in defiance. Some strands of her hair are lighter than others as they were highlighted by the extensive sun from her travels. A single thin braid falls from behind her ear, tied off with strands of colored yarn. Alora's complexion seemed softer, and, the more Din stares at her, the more he realized that it was because she was carefree. The weight of grief has not yet affected her... Not at this point in her life. There are no scars on her skin... not the ones that he's grown to admire and love, as they reflected her strength and perseverance. There were a few small knicks and small white scars that tracked down her arms from fighting, and Din can see freckles sprinkled across her cheeks behind smudges of dirt. Alora's arms are free from those lightning-like scars and there are no signs of burn markings anywhere. Her eyes are filled with mischief and amusement and are lighter than he normally sees them. Clear of their usual clouds of grief. She's determined, brave, and strong... And this version of her seems to know it.Seeing her like this fills Din with unbelievable happiness and sadness; the emotions mixing together as he watches her. She's so young... So free of her normal grief. Seeing her this way makes Din realize how much the years since have affected her. The difference in her eyes, her attitude, the way she held herself.It was all different.Young Alora stares into the eyes of these droids as they shove their weapons into her face, barking threats at her. Taking a deep breath, she patiently waits for her master to return. They've planned for this. Alora stares at the dirt below her as it coats her knees. Her hands are bound behind her back and the droids have forced her to kneel before them. One of them holds her lightsaber in its grasp, turning it over in its hand as it analyzes the weapon.A droid nudges her chin with his gun, lifting her face to look at them. Din bites back a growl at the sight of this and a glimmer of amusement floats through their connection as Alora senses his reaction."Tell me where the Jedi are hiding. Tell me their plans."Cocking an eyebrow up at the droid, Alora's voice is thick with sarcasm as she replies."What makes you think that I know that information?"Din smirks with pride at her retaliation."You are a Jedi. You know their plans. Your generals would have told you their plans.""I am simply a Padawan. A learner. I am no general nor do I know of any plans," Alora smiles smugly."We will use force to extract this information if necessary."The barrel of the gun was pressed to her temple and Alora stares defiantly up at the droid. "I'd be careful, droid. You wouldn't want the abuse of a minor on your conscious."The droid stares emotionlessly down at her."Oh, wait. My apologies. I forgot that you don't have one," Alora spits at the droid.Din smiles fondly, wondering how a girl so young could have the guts to speak to someone in this way. She had mentioned that she's gotten in trouble from running her mouth to enemies before but he'd never been able to visualize it.The droids raise their weapons, prepared to shoot her down."This is your last chance, Jedi. Give us the information we need." Its voice is metallic and empty as the droid continues to hold up Alora's face with its weapon.Alora keeps her eyes narrowed. Din can see her racking her brain for a way out, but the number of droids around her prevents any means of escape in this situation.A familiar presence creeps into her mind and Alora's shoulders relax. Her master is nearby, prepared to assist her."I told you already. I am a Padawan. Not a Jedi Knight or Master. I have no say in the plans of this war or its battles. I am in training. But this is where you've made a mistake, droid.""Explain yourself," its robotic voice echoes in the canyon."A Padawan is always close by their Master."A blur of motion explodes around Alora as blasts take down multiple droids that surround her. Din startles in surprise and takes a step forward as if he could provide assistance. A figure lands on top of the droid in front of Alora, sending it into sparks as a green lightsaber rips through its mechanical body. The droid lets out a few croaks as its head is rendered from its body, flying through the air and rolling to a stop a few yards away."Hello, Master," Alora smiles up at the Togruta woman that stands in front of her.Din smiles as he recognizes the woman from a previous flicker of memory that Alora had shown him on Sorgan."Alora, must you always piss off the enemy?" Jedi Master Kya Thorn smiles down at Alora as a band of Republic clones begins to take out the rest of the droids in the vicinity. Din can feel Alora's heartbeat increase slightly at the sound of her old master's voice. The ghost of her presence flickers and Din can hear her breathe her master's name. The appearance of the clones seem to make the connection waver as well... a spike of anxiety stretches through their bond when they stepped into the scene of the memory."It's a specialty of mine," young Alora smirks in response.A single stroke of Thorn's blade slices the bonds that hold Alora's hands and Alora stands, rubbing her wrists. Alora summons her blade to her hand, pulling it from the destroyed body of the droid who had taken it.Kya Thorn was a stunning woman. Her skin was light blue and decorated with white markings. Her head tails and montrals display similar pigmentation. A golden band of akul teeth adorns her forehead, displaying her strength and power. She wears tan and brown Jedi robes, and her arms and chest are covered in plates of white armor, which have been painted in varying colors and symbols.Brushing the dust and dirt off of her own robes, Alora smiles in thanks at her master."I knew you would come sooner or later. I was just stalling, that's all."The clones gather around the two Jedi, kicking at the remains of the droids as they await new orders."Of course, you were, my young Padawan," Thorn pats Alora's shoulder, helping her to brush away the dirt and grime."It's good to have you back, sir." A clone nods at you in respect."Thank you," you smile at him.Alora's presence in the memory flickers again at the sight of the clone, and Din can feel her grip on his hand tighten and her heartbeat quicken."We need to regroup with the general. I alerted him that we deviated from our path and that we would return as quickly as possible to the group," Master Thorn glances around her troops, checking their numbers and assessing the situation."Did you mention my name in that explanation, Master?" Alora says, glancing at the Jedi Master."Perhaps.""And what did General Kenobi say about this predicament I got myself into?"Nervousness thickens Alora's voice as she kicks a small rock with her boot. Her hands clasp behind her back and Din smiles at the sight of an embarrassed Alora. He can feel happiness flood Alora at the sound of the Jedi Master's name... her friend.Thorn pauses, turning back to her Padawan."Need I remind you that Master Kenobi's Padawan acted similarly to you when he was young? Surely you know Skywalker well enough to know that Kenobi is used to this." A chuckle rippled through her voice as she points in the distance.Din's breath catches in his throat at the sound of Anakin Skywalker's name. Perhaps this memory would allow him to see the face of the man who had harmed his Alora."The city is that way. We need to meet the troops in front of the city to hear their idea to take it back. I believe that Master Windu is attempting to make contact with the local rebellion to ask for assistance.""And what of Master Kenobi?" Young Alora cocks her head in curiosity after nodding at her master's instructions."He's working to liberate the southern hemisphere of Ryloth. We shall meet him first and help in retaking the city. Then we will go help Windu if he requires it."Alora beams in excitement. She hasn't been in the field for some time now, a few months in fact. Her master had decided to take a break from the fighting to focus on spiritual training with her pupil. While Alora loved every minute that she spent with Master Thorn, she craved the adrenaline of battle. Just to move. The fluidity of her movements in battle when she lets go and lets the Force drive her. She also took great satisfaction in cutting down these despicable droids.However, the break from the battlefield has only sharpened her attention and mind. To fight for peace. For the Jedi Order. And to be able to do it by the side of Kya Thorn... it was an incredible honor.The woman had practically raised her, as Alora had explained to Din. Alora had been trained by Thorn since she had reached a Padawan level of training. She looked at her as if she was family, regardless of Jedis' views on attachment. Alora felt a connection to the Jedi Master as if she was her elder sister.Or even her own mother.Din can sense this strong emotional connection in the last moments of the memory as it whisps away like smoke... just as the memory of Ari's death had.He looks up at Alora, blinking in surprise at the shift in age he sees in her face."You okay?" she smiles."Yeah... Just strange to see you after seeing your younger self," Din chuckles.He stops when he notices a small tear in the corner of her eye, and he reaches up to wipe it away."You don't have to share these memories with me, Alora. They're yours. I don't want you to be in pain.""It's easier... To know that I'm not the only one experiencing it... They're not going to get easier," she mumbles, starting to pull her hands away.Din laces his fingers with hers and pulls Alora back over to him."You'll never have to be alone again, Alora. I'm not leaving you. I will do everything in my power to make sure that you will never have to experience something like this ever again."He leans in to press his forehead against hers."I promise, cyar'ika."
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"Can't a girl get a break?" Alora grumbles as she ducks behind a meat stall, hiding behind one of the flaps of cloth that shields its visitors from the glaring hot sun of Jakku. The sounds of yelling in the streets fill the air as stormtroopers force their way through the crowds, barking orders at each other and at the civilians that get in their way. Alora grimaces as she watches a young girl get thrown to the ground as one of the soldiers shoves his way past.She quickly starts to make her way away from the troopers, slipping into crowds and weaving through the vendor stalls.Luckily, they didn't know what she was yet. These troopers didn't know that they had just met a surviving Jedi; they'd just assumed that she was someone wanted by the Empire.
Was there a better way to have gotten out of that situation? Probably. All it took to upset them was to refuse to show them my identification... I don't even have identification. It defeats the purpose of the whole Jedi-in-hiding thing.
Alora had accidentally bumped into one of the troopers when she hadn't been paying attention. The sight of a flustered girl in a dark cloak had been enough to raise their suspicions, especially when Alora had become flustered only when she had run into them. The trooper had simply asked her for identification... and for some reason, Alora scrunched up her nose and bolted. Why she had to make a face before leaving the troopers in the dust, she didn't know.Apparently, that had been enough to make them want to find her again.
Surely, there was something else that I must've done to make them want to find me. Maybe one of them recognized me... or saw my saber. I don't know, I don't know. What do I do? What do I do?
It's only been a few years since the fall of the Jedi. Since Order 66. Since everything that she had ever loved... everyone she ever had... all gone. Either dead or lost in this twisted game of hide-and-seek being led by the Empire.And only a year or two of being somewhat free. Free from being tortured by the Empire and by Vader. Alora shudders at the thought of the monstrous excuse of a human being and adjusts her hood to hide more of her face. Never again will she allow the Empire to torture her. Rip apart emotionally, mentally, and physically. She'd been there, in Fortress Inquisitorious for at least a year. It felt like a decade. Every day there was another interrogation session. Another day of wishing for death to come. And now she's free and running.Just seeing the symbol of the Empire makes Alora's stomach twist, as it is a constant reminder of her loss. The helmets of the stormtroopers... the eery similarity of those of the clones. Everything throws the past back into her face and she's started to block out all emotion in order to protect herself from that pain. A wall is being built, brick by brick, with every passing day. Some day, her heart will be completely locked away, leaving her void of herself... merely a hull of a person.She doesn't want to end up that way... but she doesn't know how else to cope. It hurts too much."There! She's there!"Alora glances up, peeking out from the hood of her cloak to see a trooper pointing her out, his voice booming and drawing attention from his comrades. She turns to dart away but freezes when she realizes that the stormtroopers have circled her location, preventing her from easily running away.The trooper that had pointed her out storms up to her, pointing his blaster at her as he yells."Give me your identification, girl.""Now, that's rude. Don't assume my gender," Alora quips, dodging the trooper as he tries to hit her for the retort."I'm not here to play games. Raise your arms. You're under arrest.""Don't you have to read me my rights or something?""You have no rights. Show me your hands.""Look, soldier, I'm just a simple girl trying to make her way in this galaxy. But, unfortunately, the Empire has destroyed her chances of that," she spits, glancing at the troopers that are creeping up behind her."I'm tired of you," the solder growls, aiming his weapon at her head while his comrades reach out to grab Alora.She smirks and leaps, right as the stormtroopers lunge forward to grab her. Pushing off of their heads, Alora flips backward and lands behind the attacking troopers, making them her own shields. Their shouts of surprise bring a smile to her lips but her amusement quickly vanishes when shots ring out from the original trooper. He had fired at her when she had leaped, but had missed and hit his fellow troopers. They collapse in a smoking heap in front of Alora and she grimaces."Man, that's really unfortunate. Friendly fire's no joke, huh?"He yells in frustration and charges at Alora. She yelps and darts away to the crowd of people."Ship, ship, where's my ship?" she mumbles as she runs, her cloak billowing out behind her. The speed of her movements makes her hood fly back, letting her dark hair fly in the wind unrestrained."Need to get... to my ship," Alora pants under her breath, her words started to come out in a sing-song way as she talks to herself.The shouting of troopers behind her encourages her to keep running, even as her calves start to burn from the exertion. She's been running for the past couple of hours since she ran into these troopers and it's starting to take a toll on her body."Can't go back now because they're pissed," Alora hums, leaping over a table and trying to avoid hitting the people who were sitting at it."Where... is... my ship?" she huffs, groaning in pain as a trooper opened fire, grazing her arm. "Why did I have to park so far away?"Her muscles and lungs are screaming now, and annoyance fills Alora's head.
Come on, I've been through worse than this. I can outrun these losers.
Alora starts to sing to herself again, sarcastically, as she tries to calm her nerves while they rattle in her brain. "We're all gonna be safe, and we're all gonna have a great time!"Suddenly, someone turns a corner at the same time that she does and Alora plows right into them. The two are sent rolling into an alley, sending up dust and dirt.Alora coughs and groans in pain, muttering quietly to herself before looking up. "What in the stars was that?"A young man lays out like a starfish on his back, his face covered with an arm, and he appears lifeless."Oh crap. Oh no." The sing-song tune has left Alora's words and she crawls over to the man, reaching out to touch his arm softly. "Are you okay?"His arm moves slightly and Alora groans in exasperation when she sees a small smile on his lips. The guy sits up suddenly and cracks a grin, exposing a dimple on his cheek."Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Yeah, I'm fine.""So, your idea of fun is to lay out dramatically in an alley pretending to be hurt?""Yeah, basically," he shrugs."Stars, you're dramatic." Reality sets back in and Alora jumps to her feet, remembering her situation. "Shit, I gotta get outta here.""Those troopers are after you?" The guy tilts his head to the side, making his shaggy dark hair fall over one eye."... Yeah?" she says warily, glancing over her shoulder as the shouting gets louder."Come on then."Alora looks back at the young man and is immediately drawn to his eyes. They're a strange shade of green, almost as if a forest was hidden in them. She's seen them before... They were familiar. The moment that their eyes locked, assurance and relief flooded over Alora.She grabs his outstretched hand and he quickly pulls her along behind him out of the alley. The two of them wind through the streets, being careful to hide behind crowds of people whenever the white shine of a trooper helmet makes an appearance."Where are we going?" Alora hisses as doubt starting to creep into her mind."Come on," he replies. "My place is over there.""Take me to dinner first, at least," she mumbles, trying to hide the anxiety that's lancing through her.He looks back at her and smiles, cocking his head to the side as he slows to a walk."Maybe I will."Alora's face flushes and she quickly looks away.She'd managed to get a good look at the guy when he'd turned to her. He was young, about her age, and had shaggy dark hair that fell over his eyes. His eyes crinkled at the edges when he smiled and his skin was tanned from time in the Jakku sun. A thin white scar runs down the side of his face, starting from his temple and trailing down to his chin. He wore a dark shawl-like cloth that covered his neck and chest and trailed down his back like a cape. Underneath the shawl, he donned a tan tunic and there were vambraces on both of his arms that were a slightly darker brown hue than his clothing. The shawl-cloak covered some of his belt, hiding some of the items that he was storing, but Alora caught a glimpse of a blaster holster, an assortment of pockets, and small shiny objects hooked into it. Dark brown trousers matched a pair of dark boots, which were scuffed and worn. The man was covered in dust and sand from Alora plowing into him and some grains of sand fall from his dark hair as he turns his head, checking for troopers as they walked.He was... attractive. Cute. But there's something familiar about him.Alora shakes her head to clear the thought from her mind and to refocus. Her eyes travel to her hand, still tight in the guy's grip."Um... you can let go of my hand now..."The guy glances at her as he walks alongside her, shooting her a small smile."If the troopers see us together, they might not recognize you immediately. They think that you're a loner right now, and, when they look at us, they'll see a couple. Put up your hair and take off your cloak. You need to change your appearance."She scrunches up her nose as she processes his words, her eyes slowly widening as she realizes how smart that idea is. Alora lets go of his hand but looks down when he refuses to drop hers."I kinda need you to let go so I can fix my hair.""Oh, um, sorry." He lets go of her hand slowly as if he didn't want to, and she shoots him a questioning look before quickly removing her cloak.The man glances over as she folds and ties the cloak over her shoulders, in a similar manner that he was wearing his own. His eyes dart over the weapons on her belt before they're hidden by the folds of the cloak once again; one weapon, in particular, catching his eye.Alora ignores his gaze and quickly starts to braid her hair down her back, tying it off with one of the pieces of cloth that cover the scars on her forearms. Quickly adjusting her sleeves to cover the tell-tale scarring, Alora hooks an arm around the man's to create the visual of a couple walking down the street, arm in arm. She plasters a smile on her face and leans her head on his shoulder tenderly.The troopers start to pass by, searching the crowd for a hooded girl traveling alone. But they won't find one.Alora bites her lip when a soldier looks at her, but lets out a small breath of relief when they look away, completely unaware of who she was.But she looks up to see that the man has now covered his head with his own cloak, hiding his identity from those around him as he guides Alora away from the market. His mouth is twisted into a grimace when a soldier glances at him for a moment. Alora quickly starts to pull him forward in an excited manner, jabbering on about nonsense, and the trooper looks away without any suspicion.The man smiles endearingly as he follows Alora away from the crowd before yanking her behind a food stall to get out of sight."Come on," he murmurs. "My place is just over here."He guides Alora to a small hut that's tucked among other living spaces. He fiddles with the door and steps aside to let her through as it slides open. Alora darts inside and spins to face him as he closes the door behind them."Thank you," she breathes, brushing the dust from her clothing. "Why do you look kinda familiar?""Maybe because we were raised in the same youngling grouping," he replies simply, removing his hood and shaking the sand from his hair.Alora's eyes widen and she steps back warily."Wh-what?""Don't you remember me? It's been years, I know. Last I remember, you became Master Kya Thorn's Padawan, right? You became a Padawan a little early.""How...?" Alora tilts her head to the side, trying to pinpoint his face in her mind."Yeah, that's right," he mutters thoughtfully. You went to train with Master Thorn. And I went to go train with-""Master Cassian. Yes, yes, I remember! Ari!" Alora beams, running to pull him into an embrace."The one and only," Ari smiles, burrowing his face in her shoulder. "It's so good to see you, Lora. I'm so happy to see you alive..."Alora leans back at his words and their gazes lock. Suddenly, those walls that had been built were broken, shattered like glass, and the two pressed their foreheads together in a loving touch.And the two lost Jedi wept together for the loss of their family... For the loss of their masters... And in thankfulness for finding one another again... alive.
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"You said that you were tortured by Vader.""Yep." Alora glances up from the ration packs as she opens one for the child. "The man himself." She scoffs after a moment, sitting up when she realizes what she had said. "Or rather... hm... he really wasn't a man, was he?"She turns back to the food and mumbles to herself for a few moments as she thinks of a better word to describe the dark lord than simply calling him a monster.Din is silent, unsure how to continue his question and what exactly he wants to know. All that he knows is that Alora was locked away... tortured... for Maker knows how long. She hasn't gone into much detail about it. He's not even sure if she knows how long she was in captivity herself.Her mutterings silence and Alora rises from the box of supplies, handing Din one of the packs while shooting him a smile."Is that all that you wanted to know?" She tilts her head to the side in interest and her smile dies slightly as concern flickers through her eyes. "What is it, Din? What's on your mind?""I-..." Din glances down at Alora's scarred arms. Her sleeves are pushed up and out of her way while she was sorting through the supplies, and her vine-like scars are vibrant on her skin. The vambrace coverings and wrappings that she normally wears have been discarded for some time now, stored somewhere in her room. She doesn't seem to want to hide them anymore; either that or Alora no longer feels the need to..."I know that you're not much of a talker but this is one hell of a conversation starter," Alora smirks, trying to lighten the mood. "You want to know what happened, don't you?""I-... yes... but if you don't want to-""I don't mind. The more I talk about what happened, the less everything haunts me. It's like you're my therapist."Din chuckles, taking the ration pack from her."But first, you need to eat," Alora scolds."Hey... I eat," Din grumbles."Not enough, you don't. And I know it's 'cuz the child and I are here. And 'cuz of that damn helmet." Alora raps her knuckles against the cheek of the helmet as she walks past him."I-... I just don't want to leave... that's all.""Din," Alora sighs. "We're just a room away.""That's too far," Din mumbles shyly, trying to lower his voice so Alora couldn't hear."What was that?""Nothing!"There's a glint in her eyes as if she knew what he had said."How about this? The child and I will go hang out in my room." At that, the child coos happily as he shovels food into his mouth. Alora chuckles and turns back to Din. "You stay in here and eat. We can talk through the door and I'll tell you about what happened.""... okay."Alora takes the kid into her quarters with their rations and Din watches as they disappear behind the closing door. He stares at the door for a moment before walking towards it, taking off his helmet with a quiet hiss. Din settles down by the door, sliding down to sit on the floor and rips open one of the ration packs. She's right... he did need to eat."So..." Alora's voice is muffled through the metal as she sits by the door as well, her back pressed against it just as he is."So..." Din smiles. It felt strange to speak to her without the helmet. His unmodulated voice sounded alien to him and he couldn't help but cringe at the sound of it.There are a few moments of silence and Din starts to eat slowly, unsure of if Alora would actually talk. When she did speak, he was startled after the long silence."I like the sound of your voice... without the helmet blocking and changing it." She sounded bashful... embarrassed.Din smiles, leaning his head back against the metal. "It's nice to be able to talk to you without it if I'm being honest."He can hear her hum in agreement and then there's another moment of quiet."Hey..." Alora whispers."Hi.""This is gonna sound so stupid, but... uh...""I sincerely doubt that you can sound stupid, Alora," Din chuckles.There's another moment where she doesn't speak."... Can you say it again?""Say what?""... my name."Din blinks, turning to look at the closed door. He can sense her on the other side and he can hear the embarrassment in her voice as she speaks."You want me to say your name?""... Yes.""I say your name all the time.""Din, can you just-""Alora."More silence."Alora?""Yeah?""You okay?""Yeah."Din cracks a grin. She sounds like she's smiling. "Now what was that all about?""I wanted to hear what it sounded like without your helmet.""Ah," Din chuckles."Don't laugh at me! I know it's stupid!" she laughs. There's a light thud against the door as she leans her head back against it."It's not stupid..."Alora falls silent once again and Din continues to eat, patiently waiting for her to continue the conversation when she's ready."Oh, yeah. You wanted to know about the fortress," she mumbles, her voice muffled as she eats."Fortress?""Yeah. Fortress Inquisitorius. It's where they interrogated and tortured the Jedi that they captured." Din's face contorts in confusion and concern as her words come out nonchalant... as if it wasn't that big of a deal. "It was this big... well... fortress. It was on Nur if I remember correctly. It was built from below sea level and up, so it kinda just sprouted from water. In the middle of nowhere. Kinda hard to break in or out of."Din is quiet, waiting for her to continue."I was kept in the levels that were underwater. Whenever they escorted me to and from the interrogation chambers, we walked through halls where the walls were made of glass and you could see the ocean outside. If you tried to break the glass to escape, it would be in vain; the halls would be flooded instantly and you would drown or die from the impact of the water." She pauses for a moment to eat and Din can hear her murmur something to the child for continuing her description. "There were only like three places that they would take me. My cell, the interrogation-slash-torture room, and the tomb.""The tomb?""Yeah..." Her voice trails off in distant thought. "There was a floor in the fortress that was filled with the bodies of Jedi from Order 66.""That's... sick. Twisted. Demented." Din's face contorts in disgust at the idea and Alora grunts in reply."They kept their bodies preserved in this... amber-colored substance. As if they were on display. Vader took me there once... he wanted me to see what had become of the Jedi. Wanted me to see how... 'weak' they were."Alora shivers in disgust, shaking her head in sorrow. The sight of the men, women, and children that had been frozen in their demise flickered in her mind"The torture chamber was the standard thing you would expect. A large room with a torture chair that they strap you down in. Plates of metal and needles would connect to my arms and send waves of electricity through me. And the needles would make me bleed when we struggled against the machine. There would be dark red lines and gashes down my arms by the end of the day... and they wouldn't bother to properly heal me. They let me bleed."Din can feel a memory flickering through the bond with Alora and he glances at the door, wanting to open it and pull her into an embrace. He had a feeling that the memory that was about to arise was going to be one of her more haunting ones. Din watches as the ship around him fades away, wisping into the air like smoke and replaced with the horror of Alora's past.Alora, a younger Alora, is strapped down in a cell. The room is dark; the only light coming in is from the hall outside.Her body is limp in its unconscious state. Alora's head lolls to the side, and she groans in pain and confusion as she begins to wake.Screams echo down the halls as Alora's eyes flutter open drearily. The haunting red lights that flash outside her cell reflect against the metal walls and the cuffs that are securing her, and she winces away from the garish light. Flexing her arms against the restraints, she struggles to sit up from the contraption that she's strapped to.For a moment, panic surges through her chest as she realizes her restraints and she glances down in horror. Slight relief replaces her fear when Alora realizes that it's just a chair... That she's just in her cell, not the torture room.Din looks closer, squinting through the darkness to get a better view of her. She's young... maybe seventeen or eighteen years old. Her arms are bloody and a red mark stains her cheek from the impact of a backhanded slap. Her body is painfully thin... her robes hid the way her ribs could be seen through her skin; robes which were torn, burnt, and stained with blood, sweat, and tears. Dark circles were under her eyes, which were lifeless and empty of their usual spark. Her skin was a sickly pale hue from her lack of sunlight; the only color in her complexion were the marks of the abuse that was enacted on her. Bruising and welts are speckled over her body, the dark purple, blue, and red standing out in stark contrast to her pale skin. She looked like a husk.The normal sound of boots trudging in a uniform manner travels down the halls in the distance, slowly growing closer.Alora's head lolls to the other side and her eyes squint as she stares at the two troopers that guard her cell. The footsteps grow louder and Alora groans as a man wearing an officer uniform appear at the door to her cell, followed by two stormtroopers.The door slides open and Din watches as her eyes flick up to stare at the ceiling. There is no mischief in her eyes... no energy. She's tired. Drained of life.
How long must she have been there to cause this? What they must have done?
"Care to give us the information that we desire?"The officer's voice is a low drawl; just the sound of it makes Din uncomfortable. He doesn't need anything else to know that this man enjoys enacting this pain and torture on her.Alora is silent, continuing to stare at the ceiling."Maybe some more shock therapy would do you some good," the man smirks.No response. Just a dead stare at the ceiling.
She doesn't care. She doesn't care what they do anymore.
"Very well... If this is how you choose to be."Alora turns her head to look at the Imperial officer. Her eyes are void. Empty of anything. Even hatred or pain. She's blank.The man turns to one of the troopers."Lord Vader has requested a visit with the girl. That ought to lift her spirits."Alora's eyes widen and a small streak of fear flashes through them at the sound of the name."Of course, sir. Should I alert him of her departure to the chamber?""Yes... Tell Lord Vader that his little friend isn't... cooperating."The trooper nods and walks away, disappearing down the hall.Alora's mouth opens as if she was about to speak. A low croak emits from her and she swallows to clear her throat."...please..."Her voice is strained. As if her voice had been worn out from screaming. And the way she licked her cracked lips before speaking told Din that they hadn't been giving her water. Depriving her of the nourishment that she needs to survive."Ah, so she speaks." Din wanted to punch the man in the face; break the already crooked nose that which he was peering down to see her. The officer's eyes were dark and cold. Uncaring. Inhumane."...please."There was a chime of a comlink and the officer sneered at her before turning to answer the call. The voices were hushed and Din watched in agony as Alora licked her lips again.When the officer looks up from the call, his smirk has only grown."Take her to the chamber. Lord Vader will meet her there.""...no..." Alora's voice strains and whines as she starts to struggle. "...no... please... I don't have the information you need... Please."The trooper that had replayed the officer's message returns and steps into the cell alongside its comrade."Please..."The two soldiers remove her restraints and grab her roughly by the arms, hauling her into the hallway."No... No! Please! No!"She's desperate. Alora is trying to plant her feet to stop their walk and she struggles to rip herself away from the soldiers. Her whines slowly grow louder, turning into yells and then screams as they enter the torture chamber. The sight of the machine and the restraints send Alora into hysterics. She's thrashing now, pulling at their grip with all her might."PLEASE! NO!"Din watches in horror as they strap her to the machine, lowering the metal plates to her forearms."PLEASE! NO! NOT HIM! ANYTHING BUT HIM! PLEASE!"Din's eyes widen as he realizes what she means. Alora is not dreading this machine.
No. She's dreading-
Low mechanical breathing fills the air; distant but growing closer. Alora thrashes in the restraints, desperate to get away. Fresh blood streams down her arms as the needles puncture the skin and she screams in pain, dread, and agony. She's spiraling into a frenzy.Din can hear heavy footsteps as he approaches. He can feel Alora shying away in terror at the tall being walking her way."PLEASE!""Alora."Din can't help but shudder at the sound of the deep modulated voice. It doesn't sound like the man that Alora had described as Anakin Skywalker. This wasn't a man. This was a monster. He remembers the way he had towered over her when Ari was killed.Words are lost in her attempts to get away. They are replaced with horrible screams and cries of dread and terror. Blood pours from her arms now. It's as if she's trying to cause damage on purpose... as if she'd rather be dead... bleed out there on the chair. Rather than face this monstrosity.Vader raises a hand in the air and Alora freezes. Whimpers and choked cries of pain fall from Alora's lips as she stares at her old friend in horror. He's holding her, freezing her with the Force. The air around her seems to vibrate with power and she's trembling. Whether it was in fear, in the strain of his hold on her body, or both... Din didn't know."...please... please... I... I don't know... anything," Alora gasps. "You... you know this!""We shall see."Alora is pulled forward and she cries out in agony as the needles dig deeper into her skin. Blood is dripping from her onto the floor, and a small pool of blood has puddled there.Vader steps closer to her, his hand still raised. He towers over the girl as she remains strapped in the torture chair. His gloved hand hovers by her face, which is contorting in pain and concentration. Her breath staggers and she chokes on words and air as he infiltrates her mind."...no... NO! Get out of my... my head!"Her brow furrows and she grimaces as she struggles against him. Her body trembles and sweat drips down her neck.Din can feel pride welling up in his chest. She's terrified of him... and she's still fighting against him. She won't give him what he wants... even if it means that she's freed."I... I don't... don't... know... anything!""Then why do you resist."She grunts and gasps for air as she continues to remain frozen in her position."You are strong with the Force, young one.""Flattery... won't... get you... anywhere," Alora growls."Strong... but not strong enough. I can see your thoughts... your memories.""... no," Alora chokes."All of those memories... They bring you nothing but pain now. Use that pain. Channel it."Alora's face continues to contort in both physical and emotional pain as the door to her mind is broken open."Alora," Din murmurs. "Alora, you're dying."The monitors of the chair show the young girl's vitals and Din watches as her heart rate continues to rise to dangerous levels.Alora's eyes widen as she stares into the dark mask of the Sith Lord."You... you... I know... I know you... You're..." Shock and denial cloud her eyes as she stares up at the dark figure. "... no... You can't... You can't be..."The monitor starts screaming as Alora's heart fails. The drawl of the flatline alert fills the room. Vader shakes his head as if he was disappointed in her failure. She falls limp, her eyelids drooping closed, and Vader lets her go. Her body falls back against the chair as a med droid hurries over to resuscitate the girl.The metal panels are pried away from her and the droid places a defibrillator over her heart and side."Clear."Her body convulses from the shock and the droid calls for another charge."Clear."Alora's heartbeat returns; it's weak, but it's there. Her eyes flutter open but she struggles to focus on the looming villain in front of her."... No... Please... Let me go... Let me die... Anakin..."The droid scurries away as Vader stands there, staring at the girl."Anakin... Please..." Her hand raises towards him as if she expects him to take it."Reset the machine," Vader says coldly, obviously not too happy about hearing the name that was once his own."No... Please..." She sounds so weak."If she won't share the information... Then I will make her turn...""No! NO! PLEASE!" Alora's strength is returning but is quickly diminished when the plates return to her arms and a current of energy is sent coursing through her.And Vader just watches as she convulses in pain.The memory fades in whisps and Din looks up from his lap to stare at the wall as he leans against the door. Slowly, he slides his helmet back over his head and punches the control panel to open the door. Alora falls backward, yelping in surprise as the door she was leaning on is no longer giving her support. Din catches her, pulling Alora into his arms as they sit on the floor."... Din.""I'm sorry.""It's not your fault, Din. I didn't mean to show you that. I should be the one apologizing.""No."The two sit for a few moments, entwined in each other's arms on the floor. Alora hums happily in Din's embrace."You... You died, Alora.""Yep. It was not fun.""What... What happened? Your heart...""I'm not entirely sure. I think I had a heart attack, I don't know. But my heart failed. Maybe it was the stress and strain of fighting him. But when I realized who he was... That was the tipping point.""How'd you know who he was?""He broke open the door to my mind... Here's the thing about doors; it's not a one-way deal. Doors can be stepped through in either direction. I managed to take a step, or look or something... And I saw who he used to be."Din is silent, only pulling her closer to him."I'm okay, Din... It was a long time ago...""You were terrified. You wanted to die.""Yeah... I did. And he... He still terrifies me... Even if Vader is dead. He haunts my dreams," Alora admits."Well, then... We're going to have to put an end to that.""An end to what?" Alora cocks her head in interest as she looks up at him."Your fear. He's gone. He's dead. You don't have to fear him anymore. He can't hurt you."He expected her to feel relief, to relax. But she only gave him a small smile of sorrow."Oh, Din... I'm not sure that's entirely true. He'll hurt me until I'm dead... For the rest of my time in this life. What he's taken from me... I'm not sure if I will ever fully recover. I'm not sure if this galaxy will ever recover from the man that encouraged evil to run rampant."Din's heart sinks at the idea of Alora being in pain for the rest of her life. He thinks of the blood that had pooled in that room. Of the excruciating pain she has experienced, both physical and mental."I'm okay, Din... I promise... I'll be okay. It fades over time... Just give it time. Besides... If I hadn't gone through all that shit, no matter how painful, I wouldn't have been where I am today. I wouldn't have met you..."Din looks down at Alora, his eyes wide. She's fidgeting with her sleeves again, a nervous tick that she's started to show since she started working through her memories. The way she's messing with them tells Din that she can't decide whether or not to pull them over the scars or to leave them alone."Why did your path have to be so painful for us to meet?" Din murmurs, resting his chin on her head and pulling her closer."That is the question," Alora smiles, nestling into Din's arms. "But the path is the past. I need to learn to focus on the present."
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Surely there's a better way to do this."Alora mutters to herself as she stares up at the vents in the ceiling."Well, what do you suggest?"Looking over her shoulder at the sound of an accent-heavy voice, Alora's eyes fall on the Jedi entering the hallway from the hatch to the Republic ship. He's taller than she is... most people are since she's only fourteen. The bearded Jedi stood at a height nearly seven inches taller than her. If she hadn't known him to be a friend, she would've been intimidated by his stature. Master Obi-Wan Kenobi was a man of grace, wisdom, and strength. He'd become somewhat famous - not only in the Temple but in the Republic."Well, for starters, how about I don't go climbing through the vents of a Separatist ship?""We need your eyes, to scout the area and to find General Grievous. But, if you think you can't do it..." Kenobi arches an eyebrow in a taunting manner."Hey, hey, I can do it," Alora scoffs. "I just would rather not climb through a vent that's all," she shrugs."Alora is claustrophobic."Master Thorn steps in, following Master Kenobi through the hatch. She's wearing her standard tan robes and armor, similar to Master Kenobi. Alora smiles at the sight of her master, but the smile is quickly replaced by a small frown."I am not claustrophobic. Why must you spread lies, Master?""My apologies, Alora," she smiles mischievously."Maybe you should practice a new exercise, Master. While I practice my meditations, you write lines or something... Something like 'I must not tell lies'."Kya beams in amusement and Kenobi shakes his head in exasperation."The way you two bicker... It's like you're sisters.""Maybe we are," Alora smirks, focusing on the screws in the vent opening above her and raising her hand. They start to turn, loosening their hold on the grate. "After all, she's not that much older than me.""Master Thorn is nearly ten years older than you, Padawan Caddell.""Yep, not that much older," Alora smirks, knowing that she and her Master are starting to remind General Kenobi of his old Padawan."Are you trying to call me old, Master Kenobi?" Master Thorn raises an eyebrow in amusement. "Surely you should consider the fact that you are older than me before commenting on my age.""I can't deal with you two," he grumbles, starting to walk farther into the hallway."Got it."The screws and the grate cover clatter to the ground at Alora's feet. She quickly scoops up the screws and stuffs them into a pocket on her belt. Master Thorn looks at her in confusion and Alora returns the look with a shrug."You never know when I might need them. Maybe Grievous likes to eat them.""He's not actually a droid, Alora. And even if he was, droids don't eat."Alora snickers at Obi-Wan's groan in the distance."Hey, I'll still throw them at him. Mark my words.""I don't doubt it," Obi-Wan mutters, walking back toward the two Jedi. "Are you going to get in the vent or not?""Why? Do you wanna take my place?""Alora, pester Master Kenobi any further and he might throw you into the vent," Master Thorn chuckles."Yes, that would be entertaining," Kenobi muses."Nuh-uh, I'll go up on my own.""Go on. Keep your comlink active and give us updates," Thorn nods, shooting her a small smile."Yes, Master." Alora nods, trying to hide her shared amusement with her master from Obi-Wan. Jumping up, Alora grabs the edge of the open vent, hauling herself inside and shuffling forward on her elbows. "You know, this could be considered child abuse." Alora's voice echos slightly through the vent as she mutters to herself."I thought you didn't want to be treated like a child."Alora groans as she starts to move through the vent. The smug look on Master Kenobi's practically radiates through his voice.Obi-Wan looks at Master Thorn, his amused expression still imminent on his features."Your Padawan is eerily like my own.""Yes... they share a similar wit, don't they? How is Skywalker, by the way?""Oh, he's doing fine. Busy with the war and with training his own Padawan," Obi-Wan says tiredly."I can't imagine how it must feel to watch the boy you trained becoming a trainer himself," Kya chuckles.The two turn a corner and walk up behind a squad of battle droids, casually walking behind them as the droids did their sweep of the ship."Very old... That's how it feels."The droids turn to face them, alarmed by the sudden appearance of the Jedi."Hey, Jedi-"They didn't even get a chance to finish their sentence. Obi-Wan and Kya ignited their sabers and swiftly cut through the droids before returning the blades to their belts. The two casually continued their conversation."It is odd to think of Alora growing up and taking a youngling under her wing. I look forward to seeing it," Kya admits."Your Padawan is good with children. The younglings seem to take a liking to her. Even the ones she's met in her time on the battlefield... Those children flocked to her for comfort," Obi-Wan mumbles thoughtfully, stepping over a shattered droid."Yes... I am certain that she will grow to become a very kind and thoughtful master for her future Padawan. Although, she may have some things to teach me before she moves on."Obi-Wan looks over at the Togruta woman, slight confusion etched over his features."Teach you? How so?""She teaches me to be young again," Thorn smiles. "And she has this odd knack for getting someone to bend the rules.""You know that I can hear you guys, right?"They both look up at the vent, unsure where exactly the girl was. It was Obi-Wan that spoke first, lifting the comlink to his lips."It's rude to listen to others' conversation.""It's not my fault you guys are so loud. I can hear you through the vents. I'm not even near you."The two Jedi Masters look at each other, one with an unamused expression while the other had one of the opposite."Alora, where are you?""I'm a couple of corridors away." Her voice becomes hushed and there's the sound of a clove of droids walking past. "There's a group headed your way.""Have you seen Grievous?" Kenobi asks."No. I can hear him though.""You can hear him?" Kenobi's question is strained as he wonders about the meaning behind her word choice. "As in he's talking?""Nope," Alora says simply. "He's breathing."Kya Thorn snorts in amusement while the girl continues."Geez, the guy needs an inhaler or something.""Send us your location, Alora. And whatever you do, do not interact. Stay hidden.""But if I jump him-""NO, Alora." The two say in unison."You guys are no fun." And the comlink crackles into quiet."I have a feeling she's gonna try anyway," Thorn mutters, analyzing the location that the girl had sent via comlink."Then we better hurry."Alora grumbles to herself as she waits in the vent, watching as droids walk under her. She's heard stories about Grievous from Ahsoka, but she's never met the guy. Excitement clashes with nervousness as her stomach twists in anticipation of the fight that is ahead.She can hear the electric staff of Grievous's guard and the distorted breathing that's mixing with coughs as the general makes his way towards where the two Jedi Masters are currently approaching. Alora raises the comlink to alert them once again, but freezes when Grievous stops right below the vent where she's hiding. Slapping her hand over her mouth to muffle her breathing, Alora's eyes widen at the sight of the cyborg.
Ahsoka was right... he's tall.
And Ahsoka is taller than Alora by a bit... so if Ahsoka thinks that he was ginormous then Alora should be frozen with fright.The general is looking around as if he knows that someone is there. His fast-paced walk down the hall had halted very quickly. Something had distracted him in his advance toward the Jedi. His gaze travels the hall, slowly moving up to the vent. Alora bites her tongue to keep herself from gasping at the sight of his eyes.They were sickly. Reptilian-looking. Bright, piercing yellow eyes that were narrow with pupils like slits. The skin around them looked burnt and rotten.Alora recoiled from the grate out of disgust and fear that he may see her. Her eyes are squeezed shut tightly, waiting for him to rip her from the vent, but her anticipation was interrupted by the sound of a lightsaber igniting."Hello."Alora smiles at the sound of Obi-Wan's taunting voice, and the smile only widens when she sees her master step into the hallway and draw her saber."General Kenobi. You brought a guest.""I thought Kenobi might want some company this time," Thorn replies as she raises her lightsaber."You are nothing more than another lightsaber to add to my collection," Grievous sneers... or was it a cough? Alora couldn't tell. His voice is too grainy and distorted to know for sure.Alora raises the comlink to mutter into it, hoping that they won't hear her voice echoing through the vent as she does so."So, did we ever get a confirmation on whether or not Grievous eats metal? Since he's a cyborg and all that?""Now's not the time, Alora," Thorn hisses back."So, you have more friends on board. Interesting," Grievous hisses. "I hope to... introduce myself.""I think I'll beat ya to that intro, tin man," Alora quips into the comlink. Less than a moment later, she kicks out the vent grate, sending it plummeting down to land on top of the cyborg. He grunts in surprise, ducking in vain to protect himself. Alora hops down after the grate, landing on top of the general's head and rolling forward to pop up by her fellow Jedi.Obi-Wan's expression holds a combination of shock, confusion, and anger while Kya rolls her eyes, unimpressed."Seriously, Alora? I told you to wait. Not to intervene.""But I was bored. And I wanted to see him eat metal!" Alora beams at them. She can hear the cyborg straightening behind her, strangled huffs of breath hissing from him in anger, and Alora turns to greet the Separatist general. She bows with a smirk, kicking some of the broken bits of metal from the vent in his direction."Alora Caddell, your Raspiness.""Stupid child. I'll be sure to take your saber as a trophy from your defeat.""Oh wow. Take the saber of a Padawan learner. That's really an accomplishment, dude." The sarcasm in her voice was heavy, dripping from her words as she gave him a disapproving frown.Obi-Wan looks between the Jedi and her Padawan, the look of shock and confusion never leaving his expression. While he doesn't approve of her arrival, Kenobi can't deny that he's impressed by her introduction. Most would've been afraid of the towering cyborg, and Alora, being a child, was definitely small in comparison. And yet she only showed sarcasm and amusement while staring him down. It was impressive... and familiar. Similar to Anakin and his Padawan."If you're so up to the challenge, then step forward... by all means," the general coughs, earning himself a look of disgust from the girl."Dude, cover your mouth. Cough in your elbow, I don't know."Grievous growls as a lightsaber appears in his hand, and he ignites it."Someone should teach you some manners.""Someone should take you to a dermatologist." Alora gestures to her eyes, her look of disgust never leaving her face. "You gotta have that checked out.""Alora, stop angering the cyborg with lightsabers," Thorn scolds."I'm only trying to have some fun, Master," Alora smiles, looking over her shoulder. Grievous uses her distraction to swing at her, but Alora sidesteps the blow, unclipping her saber from her belt to ignite it. The green glow of her saber intensifies the eery glow in the hall caused by the other sabers, and her small shadow was cast onto the wall. Grievous's guards attack Thorn and Kenobi, pushing them back and away from Alora and the general.One of the droids starts to advance on Alora but Grievous sends them away."Keep Kenobi and the other one distracted. The Padawan is mine.""You got a thing against kids or something?" Alora snorts as she takes a step back from a charging cyborg.Grievous brings the saber down on Alora's head, narrowly missing her when she rolls away. He swings again and again, but Alora backflips and jumps over the blows. She's keeping herself moving, trying not to plant herself in case he throws a surprise at her. When she's backed into a wall, she hops up to avoid a swing at her feet, turning in the air to push off of the wall. Alora flips over the mechanical general, landing in a crouch and spinning around to take her first swing. The saber slices the back of the general's metal leg and he splutters in anger as sparks fly from it.His leg buckled and he drops to a knee, glaring at the girl as she bounces back with a smile on her face. The smile isn't taunting or arrogant - the girl was just excited. For some reason that pissed him off even more."Do you think this is a game?"She didn't but he didn't know that."No, but it's kinda like we're dancing," she shrugs, twirling her blade in her hand. "Why? Do you wanna play a game?"Grievous hisses, or his strange equivalent of a hiss, and swings at her again, but she parries the attack."We can play tag..."Alora sidesteps another blow and moves to make one of her own, only to have it parried and shoved back."Or hide and seek..."She parries another attack and ducks away from an attempt at a backhanded smack."Oh, or duck-duck-goose! That sounds fun! I'll be it!" She beams, jumping over a low-to-the-ground swing at her legs, and smacking Grievous in the head with the butt of her hilt as she flies over him.He screams in anger, igniting another saber and spinning them aggressively. The blade leaves red streaks of heated metal on the floor and ceiling as the cyborn stalks towards the girl."Oh shit, you mean business, okay... No games then." Alora continues to meet and block the attacks, making offensive moves whenever she sees a window. She can see Obi-Wan and Kya finishing up with the last of the guards, striking the droids down in annoyance and turning to assist the Padawan.The swinging game begins again and Alora starts to flip backward, avoiding the sabers while she's still midair. She spins in the air, turning to throw bits of metal and screws into the cyborg's eyes and face as she lands on the floor by rolling forward."Here's a snack!"He yells in surprise, taking a step back and hiding his face with his arm. Grievous starts hacking - the sound of it was disgusting as he coughed heartily and Alora didn't try to mask her disgust and disturbance."Need an inhaler, buddy? ... Asthmatic ass..."Grievous lunges for her in anger and she stumbles back in surprise, raising her arms to protect herself. Obi-Wan appears in front of her, blocking the attack and holding his ground. He pushes back against Grievous, gritting his teeth from the effort."Alora, get out of here.""Hey, I was fine!""Get out of my way, Kenobi. That Padawan needs to be silenced," Grievous growls.Kenobi's eyes narrow as he shoves Grievous back, twirling his blade and pointing it at the general."You won't touch her."Alora smiles in mock-innocence at General Grievous. "Yeah, there's nothing in this galaxy that'll shut me up.""I can attest to that," Thorn smiles, stepping forward to shield her Padawan.Alora smirks, not bothered by the protection she's being given. She knew that she wasn't trained enough to defeat this renowned general, but she was content with knowing that she had held her own in the short time she did face him."Anyway, you guys have fun. Stay safe. Play nice... yadayada... I'm gonna go find the control room."With a mischievous glint in her eye, Alora darts away down the hall while the two Jedi start to advance the mechanical man. She can hear his screams in anger become interrupted by raspy, flem-ridden coughs, and she snorts in amusement as she darts away to fulfill her assignment.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Spoiler Warning for Episode Three of Obi-Wan Kenobi!!
They surround Alora... the whispers of the old and the new. The Force signature that was riddled through the space was tangible. It was as if she could see the people who had been there.Her fingers trace the carvings on the wall that had been left by past visitors, smiling softly at an engraving of a symbol in the wood. So familiar and yet so haunting.A winged crest that connected to a weapon of light. Light. The one thing that she was supposed to be in this galaxy - a light for the galaxy shrouded in darkness - and it was all that she was trying to be. Alora strived for it in hopes that it would drown out the pain that nags at her soul. To push away the things she'd seen.It was selfish, she knew that. But she didn't know how else to keep from drowning in it all. The balance of light and dark.Sometimes it was all too much. Too much to think about, to enact. Shoving away the darkness took strength - strength that Alora wasn't sure that she had anymore. But it didn't matter if she had that strength. This was bigger than her now. She needed to fight for them - the men, women, and children that had hidden in this room. That had run and hid from the Empire. All with Alora guarding them as they ran to the rendezvous point.Another child was going to be here soon. Tala had told her that. Her voice is what snapped Alora out of her daze and redirected her attention to the comlink."Lor, we'll be there soon." Her voice was hushed and the bustling of the street can be heard in the background."Copy that," Alora mutters back, tracing the symbol one last time before standing with a pause.There was a familiar presence nearby; whether it was Tala or someone else, she didn't know. But she brushed off the sensation and prepared herself for their arrival. A child, especially a scared one, cannot see her like this. Alora is supposed to soothe the children, not make them more nervous, and being conflicted about the past won't exactly bring them comfort.Removing her cloak and folding it over her arm, Alora waits patiently as the presence draws closer. It's friendly, as far as she can tell. Confused, angry, sad, and scared. A dangerous mixture of emotions but not one unknown to the young Jedi. If anything, it only saddened her more. No one should experience such torment of emotion. She had experienced it before, but she wouldn't wish that on anyone... not even her worst enemy.Alora could only hope to subdue those emotions for a short while, as she was deemed the emotional crutch in this part of the extraction by her colleagues. Ari often called her a superhero, even though she felt he was wrong. She often felt like she was going to others for support rather than providing it. She didn't feel like a hero. She felt like a weapon. It was all that she knew how to be. She was a weapon, that was a fact. Whether it was for the Empire or for the survivors - that was the choice she had to make. Either that or be the scared child that she'd been years ago. The child that had been locked away and abused. The child that had wanted to die.Alora tenses at the sound of the door to the building open and she sat quietly in the hidden room. Hushed voices filter through the walls as Tala walks over to the secret door, opening it to usher her companions inside.A young girl, maybe nine or ten years old steps into the room, looking around in awe. Guilt lances through Alora when the girl startles at the sight of her, not realizing that there was someone already waiting in the room."Oh, hi. Sorry!" Alora chuckles, raising a hand in greeting. "Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you. I promise I won't bring you harm."The girl squints at Alora, trying to figure out if she's being truthful or not. It doesn't take her long to make a decision. "Okay!" The girl smiles, walking over to the Jedi confidently and extending her hand to her. "Hi! I'm Leia!""Leia! What did I say about strangers?!"A hooded man bustles into the room, taking a step towards Alora and the girl before hesitating. It's hard to see his face with the shadow of the hood, but his thickly accented voice sounds oddly familiar."I promise I won't bite," Alora smiles. "I'm here to protect you on the Path.""See, Ben, she's harmless!" the girl beams, enjoying the agitation that she brings to the man."I don't know about harmless," Tala chuckles, stepping into the room. "She just said she was going to protect you. How can she do that if she's harmless?""Valid point," the man called Ben grumbles.
There's something about him...
"It's true," the Jedi smiles. "I'm not harmless, nor am I helpless. I am here as protection. As a guard.""Are you a fighter?" Leia asks excitedly, to which Alora responded with a nod. "A soldier?"The young woman shakes her head. "I am no soldier. And I pray to the Maker that I will never be."The girl seems to go deep into thought, her eyes darting over Alora's face as she thinks of another question. Alora smiles, amused by her antics, but unprepared for the girl's next question."A Jedi?"At that, Alora stills, staring back at the child with eyes just as wide as hers."Leia, please," the man cuts in, stepping forward to touch her shoulder. "Leave the poor girl alone. Not everyone is a Jedi.""Well, are you?" Leia ignores him, keeping her eyes trained on Alora. Alora glances at Tala nervously, who is stifling her amusement in the background.After another moment, the woman sighs, shifting her robes so that the child could see the concealed lightsaber on her belt. The girl's eyes bug out as if she didn't really think she had been right, and Tala laughs lightly."She really figured you out!""Oh, shut up, Tala," Alora grumbles, rolling her eyes with a small smile. "The Path was made to protect those with abilities and those running from the Empire. Jedi are both of those things so it's not that far-fetched that I am one... or used to be." Her eyes flick away as conflict and guilt flash through her.The cloaked man took a step towards her, the details of his eyes and face still hidden in the shadows. Alora can make out an auburn-colored beard, peppered with gray from age."I thought the Jedi were all gone," he murmurs, his accent cracking slightly with the question."Not all of us," Alora replies, eyes narrowing in thought as she tries to pinpoint the familiarity of his person. "Although, sometimes I question if I'm still worthy enough to be called one... What was your name again?""Ben." He replied quickly and in a stiff tone, uncomfortable with having to answer the question,"Have we met? You're oddly familiar...""Don't all Jedi know each other?" Leia interrupts, looking back and forth between the two."Leia!""What?!""You're a Jedi?" Alora asks, cocking her head to the side. It's not often that she gets to meet another of her people."Yes, he is!" The girl ignores Ben's grumblings and attempts at getting her to shut up. She's chosen to trust Alora, for whatever reason, so she sees no reason in lying to her. "His real name is Obi-Wan, but he goes by Ben when we're around strangers.""Leia, she is a stranger," Obi-Wan hisses."Obi-Wan?" Alora looks back at the man with shock at the name frozen on her expression. "Kenobi?"The man falls silent at the name, watching her from beneath the hood with dark eyes."Master Kenobi? Is it really you?" Stepping closer to him, Alora fights back the hope and emotion that is rising in his throat. She had thought Obi-Wan had met the same fate as most Jedi in the years after the takeover. And now he stands before her... with no recognition in his eyes. She takes in a shaky breath, scared that this moment wasn't real. "I... I thought you were dead...""You know him, Lora?" Tala is still standing by the door, watching this situation unfold."I don't know a Lora," Obi-Wan says stiffly, staring at the young Jedi's face. The lack of recognition fades and his gaze becomes analytical as the man observes her curiously."Oh, that's not her real name. That's a nickname," Tala chirps."Alora," the young woman whispers. "Master, it's me. It's Alora. Alora Caddell." Obi-Wan's eyes widen and he removes his hood, giving Alora a chance to see how time has treated him. He recognized her by her features, but he didn't see his Alora. He didn't see the little girl who used to throw a sarcastic retort his way and the girl who he helped train in combat. This was a young woman in her early twenties... This couldn't be his Alora.But then he sees the familiar glint in her eye and the small smile that the young girl had always seemed to carry... and there she is."Alora..." She smiles wider at the sound of her name. "You've... You've grown up.""And you've grown old." Alora smiles slyly, tilting her head to the side. "Is that gray in your hair?" She reaches up to touch a streak of gray in his hair and Obi-Wan lets her, continuing to stare at her in shock and amazement."Time hasn't treated me kindly, I suppose..." Obi-Wan chuckles."Hm... I believe it has. You look well." Alora was sincere as she observes her old friend with kind eyes. Obi-Wan looked fine physically, save for a few gray hairs and the shadows under his eyes, but Alora knew that behind those blue eyes there was a mental war happening. He looks tired, desperate to leave. "You just have a few gray hairs. That's it," Alora murmurs with a smile. "Hi, Obi-Wan.""H-hello." His brows knit in confusion as he snaps out of his confused daze. "What... what are you doing here? How...?""How did I survive?" Alora's gaze flicks to the child in their presence, wary of what her next words will be. "That's a conversation for another time."Obi-Wan nods in agreeance, letting his gaze travel to the walls of the small room while his mind wanders. The markings that decorated the walls capture his attention, and he steps away from Alora to trace the markings closest to him. "What... what is this place?""We have safe houses like this throughout the galaxy," Tala states, glancing at Alora before turning to watch the older Jedi walk around the room. "We're trying to link the systems. Some call it the Path."Leia glances up at Alora, tugging her sleeve lightly to get her attention. "That's what you called it... right?""Yep. The Path," Alora smiles at the girl, crouching down to be at eye level with her. "Many Jedi have come through here.""It all leads to Jabiim," Tala continues. "And from there, we give them new identities and get them out." She lets out a sigh as she lets her own gaze wander around the room. "There's a lot of good people risking their lives out there. And that includes Lora here."Alora chuckles, shaking her head at her in embarrassment."Are they all Jedi?" Obi-Wan glances over at the young woman with a questioning expression."Nope," Alora says simply, smiling at Leia while the girl giggles."Not all," Tala chuckles. "These days the Empire hunts anyone who's Force-sensitive... Even children."Alora's smile fades away and Obi-Wan looks at her with concern.
What has she seen in these past few years? What has she endured?
"What happens to them?" The question falls from his lips before he can stop himself."We're not sure. But no one ever sees them again."Alora continues to avoid Obi-Wan's gaze, keeping her eyes locked on the floor. Kenobi turns back to the wall, letting his eyes wander the various markings and carving that lie there. One marking in particular spikes his interest. He turns back to Alora excitedly, pointing at the carving. "Quinlan was here!"Her smile creeps back onto her face as she watches his small burst of energy. "Yes, he helps now and again. Smuggling younglings.""What does it say?" Leia walks over to Obi-Wan's side, staring at the carving in interest."'Only when the eyes are closed can you truly see.'" Obi-Wan says the words in a breathless manner, letting their meaning soak into his body and soul.Alora nods, rising from her crouch on the floor. "It's true. They're wise words.""See what?" Leia's expression is overwhelmed with confusion, and the confusion only grows when Obi-Wan and Alora answer her in unison."The Way."A banging on the door outside the main building makes the four of them jump in surprise and fear sparks in their chests at the sudden interruption. They can hear the angry voices of stormtroopers yelling at the loader droid that had answered the door silently. Alora tenses at the sound of their modulated voices, her hand flying to her saber hilt on instinct as she listens tensely."A Jedi was seen entering this camp. You seen anyone?"The droid doesn't respond because, well, it couldn't. It wasn't allowed to communicate. The troopers grumble in annoyance at its inability to respond before leaving the premises and Alora is still frozen in a tense state when Tala lets out a small sigh. Alora lifts the comlink to speak into it softly."We've been compromised. We're coming to you right now.""We're not ready. We need more time...""We don't have time. Get the ship ready, and hurry, please.""Someone must have seen us," Tala grumbles, setting her hands on her hips. "We're moving up the timeline."Alora nods in silent agreement. I have to get these two out of here."Is it scary? Having to pretend?" Leia looks up at Tala with wonder in her eyes."Yeah, sometimes. But it's worth it if I can help people."Leia nods in approval before looking at Alora. "What about you? The Jedi are hunted by the Empire. They're hunting him." The girl points a small finger at the older Jedi. "Do you get scared?"Alora forces herself to give the girl a small smile. She needs to keep Leia calm, especially since the plan is moving faster than intended. "Of course," she breathes, glancing at Obi-Wan for a moment. His gaze is clouded with concern as he watches fear flicker in the young Jedi's eyes. The memories of being in the custody of the Empire flash through her mind for a moment, but she shoves them away to refocus on the task at hand. "I'm scared every day. It's natural. Human." Alora crouches again to meet the girl's eye, reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair out of the girl's face. "Fear keeps us alive. It's instinct. But I control my fear in order to protect others - both Jedi and otherwise."Leia nods with a newfound look of determination. "Can you teach me?""Teach you what?" Alora asks lightly, tilting her head to the side."To be you. To shoot and fight.""What makes you think I can shoot?" Alora asks in a teasing manner."The blaster on your belt. I bet you're a good shot.""Oh, yeah?""Yeah," Leia says excitedly. "I can tell."Alora's heart melts with adoration and admiration at the girl's bravery while Obi-Wan ushers her away from the conversation."Leia, come and get ready." His words are quick and breathless, and he moves to stand by Alora's side while he watches Leia walk towards the escape tunnel."She'll make a good fighter one day," Alora murmurs, watching the girl carefully.Obi-Wan opens his mouth to argue but hesitates. "Yes, I think you might be right." His voice is thick with concern as he looks at her with darkened eyes. He looks like a concerned father watching his child leave home for the first time as he imagines Leia all grown up and joining the fight against the Empire."No child should have to think in such a way," Alora sighs, shaking her head lightly. "It's not fair."Kenobi looks at her cautiously, wondering the intention behind her words. "You thought in such a way, did you not?""I said what I said, Obi-Wan." Her dark gaze meets his for a moment, and he catches a glimpse of unbearable pain and agony before she turns away. "No one should have to live that way."Guilt rips at Obi-Wan's chest. Alora never got a normal childhood. Neither did he. None of the Jedi did. Even now, a Force-sensitive child could never have a normal life... Not with the Empire watching them with murderous eyes.Alora had a mother, he remembered now. He wasn't sure if she was still alive, but he remembered Master Kya Thorn mentioning how Alora spoke of her mother often in the early days of her Padawan training. Most Jedi would've disapproved of the girl's attachment to her mother, but Master Thorn had been patient and kind. She understood that the girl needed time to adjust to life without her mother, and not to rush that process. Her patience was one of the things that Obi-Wan had admired most about the Jedi Master.
May she rest in peace.
Obi-Wan looks away to speak to Tala. "Why do you do this? Risk everything?""I joined up when the Empire stood for something. By the time I realized what they really were, it was too late." Tala pauses to let out a sigh. "I made some mistakes.""We all did," Obi-Wan mutters, glancing at Alora again."I can't imagine Obi-Wan Kenobi doing anything wrong-""It's just Ben these days," he says bluntly.Alora looks his way, concern in her eyes. "Well, come on..." Alora gestures to the tunnel in the wall. "This will take us out. We need to move quickly and quietly, so as to not alert anyone or anything-"A shift in the Force makes Alora freeze and, as she focuses on the presence that's radiating through the air, her eyes widen in fear. Obi-Wan gasps, his knees buckling, and he reaches out to the wall for support. Alora is frozen to the spot, her eyes traveling to the door that hides them in this room. Her body starts to shake as darkness floods into her mind. The same darkness that she's felt countless times before... Flashes of memories scream through her head as she stares at the door in horror.Obi-Wan continues to struggle to remain standing, and ragged gasps for air escape his lips as he stumbles to the door.There's screaming in the distance. Sound seems to disappear. All Alora can hear is her own strangled attempts for breath as she waits tensely for a confirmation of her worst fear. Tala's voice becomes distant, like an echo being blown throughout a canyon, and Alora can barely make out her words."Ben? Alora?"Alora looks up, her entire body trembling as she reaches out a hand to Obi-Wan. "Obi-" Another shift in the Force, like a hauntingly cold chill, travels down her spine, making her shudder in horror. He's sensed my presence."Ben? What is it?"Obi-Wan punches the door controls, stumbling out into the room to look out the small window. More screams spew from outside into the room, and they gradually grow louder as he gets closer."Obi-Wan..." Alora is on the brink of tears now, reaching out for him like how a child reaches for their father. Her quaking voice catches his attention, and he glances back for a moment to see the complete and utter fear and agony that's in her eyes.Modulated breathing echoes through the street outside, coming out heavy and slow. Alora lets out a pained groan as agony, like fire, rips along her forearms, and she crumples to the floor holding them to her chest."Lora!" Leia runs to her side, trying to get the woman to sit up.There's a snapping sound from the street and a scream of anguish, and Alora watches as Obi-Wan and Tala's expressions morph into horror at what they'd seen."Tala..." Alora's words come out in a croak as she gasps through the painful memory that reverberates through her body. "Tala, get her out of here.""No, I'm not leaving you here!" Tala spins around, hissing out the words as quiet as she can manage. "Not for you to be killed by that psychopath!""He's... He's not..." Another strained groan tumbles from her as she curls into a ball on the floor."What's wrong with her?!" Leia says panicked."I... I don't know," Tala looks dumbfounded as she watches her friend doubling over in pain. Alora is scratching at the wrappings on her arms as if she was trying to rip them off... She didn't know what to do."You need to go!" Alora groans, pushing herself up off the floor."She's right. Take Leia and get her to the pilot," Obi-Wan says quickly. He's desperately trying to keep up the facade of remaining calm, but the dread and horror at what stands outside are threatening to drown him. "I'll be right behind you, okay?"Leia shakes her head as she states her disapproval of him staying here and Obi-Wan runs over to crouch by her side to calm her down. "It's going to be okay. I'll be right behind you, and we'll leave. But you need to go with Tala and Alora right now. I'll be right behind you.""No, I need to stay," Alora struggles to get up, grimacing against the shooting tongues of pain that ripple down her arms."No," the older Jedi shakes his head. "You can't stay here. I'll be fine. You need to protect Leia-""She won't be safe if I go with her." The words come out in a growl as Alora stumbles over to a wall for support. Her eyes are wide with fear and yet set with determination as she looks at Obi-Wan. "He knows I'm here. He won't stop trying to find me..." Her voice breaks as she looks at the window.Obi-Wan turns to Tala, grabbing her by her biceps to draw her attention away from the window. "Get her to Alderaan." She stares at him with wide eyes but doesn't respond. "Promise me. Promise me!""Okay," Tala replies quietly."I'll lead them away with Alora. Now, go!"Leia hugs Alora tightly and then takes Tala's hand as she leads her into the tunnel. Obi-Wan helps Alora get to her feet and walks her back to the window. The figure of Darth Vader stands ominously way down the street, terrorizing the citizens with the mere sight of him."Obi-Wan..." He looks down at Alora as she stares out the window at the Sith Lord with wide eyes. "It's okay," he assures nervously. "It's going to be okay.""Don't lie to me," she hisses, her gaze never leaving the street. "You can lie to the girl to keep her from getting scared but you cannot lie to me. I'm not a child." Alora rips her gaze away from the street to glance at Obi-Wan when she says the next sentence. "I know that it's not going to be okay."Obi-Wan stares at her silently, his mouth open slightly. There's anger in her eyes. Anger and pain and longing and sorrow. It makes his heart hurt to see her experience such strong emotions at such a young age. When she sees his look of hurt at her pain, Alora looks away, focusing back at the man in the street - the man that they both used to know.Alora grimaces as she watches Vader stalk through the street, shoving aside boxes and shopping stalls to expose cowering villagers as he searches for them. The scars on her arm continue to burn beneath the wrapping, making her grit her teeth as she tries to keep quiet."We have to separate," Obi-Wan hisses, staring at Vader with unreadable emotion. "What?""You need to go and help Tala with Leia.""No, he'll find me. They won't be safe. Anakin will find me," Alora hisses, looking back at the tunnel."What did you say-" Obi-Wan's words were interrupted when Alora slapped a hand over his mouth, her eyes wide with fear as she stares at Vader. He has paused in his terrorizing of the villagers and was staring at the building in which they were hiding. Alora swears under her breath, believing that they had been caught, but grimaces when Vader turns back to the villagers. He grabs one of them with the Force, dragging the woman through the dirt and gravel as she screams in fear and pain. Vader continues to walk through the street, ignoring her screams and pleas for him to stop. The air vibrates with his hatred. With his anger. That's what he was. Not a man. Not the young man that Alora had fought beside and that Obi-Wan had considered his brother.A walking vessel of pure rage and hatred.Obi-Wan opens the door of the building while Vader was distracted, pulling Alora along behind him by her arm. He ducks behind some boxes, positioning himself in front of the young Jedi in order to provide her with some shelter and protection.The mere presence of Darth had made Alora cower in fear and agony... What he must have done to her in order to inspire such a reaction... The thought makes Kenobi's stomach turn. He may not be as strong as he used to be... but by the Force, he will not let that monstrosity harm her again.Vader lets go of his hold on the woman, and she crumbles to the floor in a fit of sobs and cries for help. He continues to shove aside anything that may be hiding his prize while a few brave villagers run to the woman to provide her assistance."We need to go," Alora whispers, touching Obi-Wan's shoulder with a trembling hand. "We're only putting them in more danger."With a nod, the two disappear around the corner. Right as Vader stops to stare at where they had just been hiding. The two Jedi stumble through the darkness, desperate to get away from the evil that's hunting them. Alora rips at the wrappings on her arms as she runs, desperate to let the cool night air soothe her burning skin. The ripped strips of cloth flutter to the ground behind her as she runs by Obi-Wan's side out of the town and into a dig site for gravel and fuel."Okay, you're right," she huffs. "We need to split up. Meet back up at the crane when the coast is clear." Alora points to the tall structure in the distance, trying not to lose her balance as she does so. "Alora," Obi-Wan growls. "You need to get away-""No. I'm not leaving you. Meet me there. Or else, Kenobi," Alora growls back, glaring at him threateningly. "I'll hunt you down myself if you don't show up. I will haul your ass back with us. I will not lose you... not again."Obi-Wan slides to a halt in the gravel, turning to look at her with sorrow in his eyes. "It's not safe for me to stay with you. You know that.""None of us are safe," she says exasperatedly, stumbling to try to stop with him. "But that doesn't mean that we have to be alone."Obi-Wan is silent, his chest heaving for air as he watches her. "I don't know where you've been," she breathes. "I don't know what you've experienced. But I know that, until this moment, I thought you were dead. Like all of the others. I thought you were dead, Obi-Wan. And I... I will not let you die again, you hear me?" Her eyes look haunted as images of the past flicker through her mind. "Please..."Obi-Wan glances behind them momentarily before nodding. "Okay. I'll meet you at the crane.""Thank you!" Alora pulls him into a quick embrace before dashing off into the dark, leaving Obi-Wan momentarily stunned by the sudden display of affection. He's lived alone for the past decade, and he's grown accustomed to being alone. Without friends or family... Without anyone to connect with. The embrace was startling, but not unwelcome. He smiles to himself as he runs off in the opposite direction that Alora had gone.Alora scrabbles over a small hill of gravel, sliding down the other side of it with a grimace. She tries to ignore the way the moonlight reflects off of the white lightning-like scars that travel along his forearms. A constant physical reminder of what Anakin... no, Vader... what Vader had done to her.She can hear the echoes of the modulated and mechanical breathing resonating through the night air. It sends shudders of horror down her spine as she continues to move. Alora doesn't know where she's going - she just knows that she needs to get away.The need to escape was originally fueled by the desire to keep the others safe, but it quickly is replaced by the sheer terror at the mere sound of the Sith Lord's breathing. All reason and thought leave her mind as she flees. Her breath picks up in pace as panic sets in. The memory rages through her mind, overwhelming her senses and thoughts. She can smell blood, thick and sharp as it fills the air. The smell of burnt flesh, and the crackle of electricity as it danced over her skin and through the air. Tears stream down her face as a panic attack takes ahold of her body, and she finds herself struggling for air.Alora stumbles, falling down another hill of gravel and dirt. Her body rolls, tumbling, and she can feel fresh bruises and scrapes decorating her body when she stops at the bottom of the dirt mound. Alora lies there, struggling for breath and staring up at the night sky. She feels sick and her heart pounds in her ears as she blinks rapidly up into the darkness.The sound of a lightsaber igniting in the distance catches her attention, and her eyes flick in the direction of the sound as she stays on the ground.
I need to get it together... this is not the time or place for a freakout.
But her body doesn't move. It's frozen, stiff, as she continues to try to regain her breath. Her entire body shakes from the fear and the remnants of the memory flickering in her mind.She can hear the clashing of sabers. A fight. They're fighting.
I need to help Obi-Wan.
Vader's voice seems to fill the dark void of the night that surrounds Alora. She stares up at the distant stars, wishing that she could reach up and touch one. She searches the sky, looking for comfort that she doubts she will find.
I wish Ari was here. I need Ari. Ari would snap me out of this.
Alora squeezes her eyes shut tightly, shaking her head to shove the thoughts away.
No. If Ari were here, then he would be in danger too. He's safe. He's fine.
Obi-Wan groans from effort nearby, as their fight travels closer to where Alora lays frozen."The years have made you weak."Alora groans as she sits up, forcing her body to cooperate with her mind.
Come on. Get up.
When her body screams in refusal, she hits her head with the palm of her hand.
I don't care that Vader is here. I can't let my fear of him take over. I need to get up! I need to fight.
Alora pushes herself up off of the ground, ignoring the way her muscles whined, and shuffled through the darkness. She can see the glow of the clashing red and blue lightsabers in the distance, and she starts to run. Her mind and body scream as she watches flames suddenly erupt from the ground and she slides to a halt to watch the scene before her in horror. Obi-Wan was burning on the ground, screaming in pain, while Vader stood there and watched. Obi-Wan's body was dragged by an unseen force deeper into the flaming field of rock, and Alora bites back a scream as she watches stormtroopers approach their leader. The flames dissipate in an instant, leaving Obi-Wan to writhe on the ground in agony."Bring him to me."
No.
A stormtrooper is approaching Obi-Wan, but a blaster shot from the ridge in the distance kills him before he gets to him. Another shot reignites the smoldering earth and a wall of fire erupts from it, blocking Vader and his troopers from reaching Obi-Wan. Alora flies forward, running to the edge of the mound of dirt she had been hiding on, and throws herself into the air. She lets out a scream of rage as she rips her saber from her belt and ignites it. Vader turns to look up, igniting his saber to block her blow.Alora brings her saber down on him, only for him to shove back against her blow. Using the force of his retaliation, Alora flips over the wall of flame, landing in front of a groaning Obi-Wan. Her chest heaves for breath as she glares at the Sith Lord with rage in her eyes. The flames reflect in the eyes of his dark mask, and he stares at her wordlessly for a few moments. Alora takes a step back, closer to Obi-Wan, and falls into a protective stance with her body shielding Obi-Wan's."You... will not... touch him," she snarls, raising her saber towards Vader. The vivid green of her blade ignites the flames in her eyes and illuminates how rage has contorted her features. "I remember you." Alora's snarl deepens at the passive remark, anger lashing through her. "I've been looking for you. We have... unfinished business."Tala rushes down from the ridge and appears by Obi-Wan's side, turning him over to observe his wounds."I would rather die than go with you," Alora spits."That can be arranged."Tala tugs on Alora's arm. "Lora, we need to go."Alora can't rip her gaze away from the monster of a man in front of her. Her eyes narrow in anger as she shuffles backward to be closer to her friend. "Alora, come on."Alora glances down at Obi-Wan when her foot bumps into his leg and, when she looks back up at Vader, the ghosts of tears glisten in her eyes.
How could Anakin... how could he? How could he cause Obi-Wan this kind of pain? I don't understand.
Tala helps the loader droid support Obi-Wan's body, whispering reassurances over his moans of pain, and they start to move away from the fight while remaining hidden by the wall of flames. Alora takes another step back, continuing to guard them with her body."I won't let you hurt him and anyone else that I love... I won't let you hurt them as you hurt me," Alora growls through gritted teeth, ignoring the fiery pain rippling along her forearms.And with that, she turned away from him and hurried off to help Obi-Wan.
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
"Din?"You step out of your hut, looking around for the Mandalorian. Calling out his name again, your face scrunches up in confusion when he doesn't respond.
Where could he be? He's not easy to hide, with the shiny armor and all...
"Din!"You start to wander the village, letting Ewoks pass you by as you search the crowd for the familiar shine of his helmet. After a few minutes of walking aimlessly, you make your way to the outskirts of the village, down to the lower levels by the forest floor. Din wasn't one for large crowds - the introvert that he was - so your best bet of finding him would be in an isolated space. You'd found over time that Din was fond of silence. The kind of silence that was heavy and yet comfortable, like a quilt settling over your shoulders. He would often sit in the cockpit of the Crest when you had been traveling or drifting aimlessly through space, staring out in awe at the way the stars painted themselves throughout the darkness. It allowed him to think, and it gave him peace. It was the same to him as meditation was to you: an opportunity to recollect one's thoughts and to find comfort and balance in oneself.Now that the two of you have been living on Endor for the past couple of weeks, you've often found him standing at one of the platforms, staring out into the forest or up into the night sky. And slowly, his moments of peace and quiet have gone deeper into the thick woods. Din had worried that you would believe that he was avoiding you, and he had apologized endlessly when he had disappeared into the forest the first time (even though you had assured him you were fine with it). You had often needed moments of peace just as Din did, but both of you missed one another dearly when either of you disappeared. It seemed silly... the fact that the two of you had formed such a strong attachment... to the point where both of you became anxious whenever you were apart. That anxiety was lessened with the insurance that your small family was safe here in this hidden village of Ewoks and the barrier of the trees.For the first time, in the past year, you and Din were safe. Properly safe. Gideon was dead. The Imperials were no longer searching for you and the child since the reward funds were gone with the Moff. The two of you could relax and spend time with the child and with each other.You find the small path in the trees that you and Din often walk through and start to make your way through the woods."Din," you whisper in a singsong manner, careful not to disrupt the peaceful nature around you.You pause when you walk around a tree, your gaze falling onto the Mandalorian a few yards away. He's sitting on a fallen tree with his back towards you, staring out into a small clearing on the side of a mountain. He looked ethereal with the way the sunlight glinted off of his armor... serene. His body is relaxed - the tension that he normally carried in his shoulders had fallen away as he observed his beautiful surroundings.A smile flits across your face as you watch him. Leaning against the trunk of a tree, you let your head rest against the bark as you watch your beloved have his moment of peace. Din senses your presence after a few heartbeats, and his helmet tilts to the side to invite you closer.Separating yourself from the tree, you move to Din's side, staring out into the trees and observing the way the clouds and foliage decorate the mountainside. The familiar sensation of leather brushes against your hand as Din reaches out to take your hand into his.You can sense his fading emotions as he steps out of his backseat mental state to be present with you. Din tugs at your hand gently, silently asking you to sit beside him, and you lean your head against his pauldron as you comply with his silent request. Soft and worn leather brushes softly against your skin as Din brushes your hand with his thumb.Din opens his mouth to speak - to apologize for disappearing - but he stops himself from doing so. He knows that you would only get upset with him for thinking that he needed to apologize for taking time for himself... as you have reacted this way in the past few occurrences."What's on your mind, cyare?" Your words are soft and hushed as you lean against him, offering him silent comfort from whatever may be troubling him."... Nothing.""Don't lie to me please," you murmur. When Din is silent, you continue cautiously. "I... I feel like you're always offering me support. Being there when I have nightmares or memories or if I'm just struggling in general." Din remains quiet, sensing that you have a reason for speaking these thoughts. "But I feel like you don't give me a chance to do the same for you, Din.""I'm fine. I don't need anything, cyare. I'd rather just be there for you," he murmurs, tilting his head to rest it against yours."But you need help too, Din. You can't just deal with things on your own when you refuse to let me deal with my stuff alone," you frown, lifting your head from his shoulder to look at him."You need comfort more than I do, Alora. You've been through more than me-""I'm gonna stop you right there." Your frown deepens at his words, shaking your head in refusal. "You cannot compare our experiences, Din. Pain is pain, no matter the amount. You've helped me... let me help you." Din is quiet, staring at you through the dark screen of his visor. "What's on your mind? What are you thinking about?""Just... my parents." Din looks back out towards the mountain, letting out a big sigh. "I miss them." The Mandalorian leans into you, letting his head rest against your own once again.You're quiet, squeezing his hand to show your silent compassion as a pang shoots through your heart. You don't really know what to say, honestly. You never knew your parents, not really. The most that you remember is your mother, the way her eyes had shown, and the kindness that she had shown to others. She had been a healer - kind and compassionate... Completely selfless. Your father had died in battle when you were just a baby... What he died for, your mother had never told you.You missed your parents, but you hadn't really known them. You had been young when you'd left them. Most of your life had been spent in the Temple with the Order. Your family had been Kya. She had raised you, trained you, cared for you. But she wasn't your mother... Not really.You couldn't find the words to bring Din comfort, and you struggled to think of something to say or do than be stupidly silent."I-... I'm sorry, Din." Din lets out a small sigh, squeezing your hand in return. "I hope you find comfort in the fact that they died protecting someone they loved." You press a kiss against his beskar cheek. "I'm certain that they were selfless and loving and kind and strong... just like their son." Din stills. The gentle brushing of his thumb on your hand stops and he's taking in small shaky breaths as if he's trying not to cry."Din..." Wrapping your arms around his torso, you hold him in a tight embrace while his body shakes with silent grief and love for what he'd lost."Thank you, cyar'ika... You have no... no idea how much that means...""Shh, it's okay," you murmur, touching your forehead against his. "It's okay. I'm here."His body shakes with emotion... Emotion that he must've been holding in for weeks... Months... Years...Din doesn't speak much if his parents and the incident of their deaths. And you understand why... It's too painful... That's the thing about the past. It's always so painful to look back on.It's been years since Din allowed himself to feel grief for what he had lost. Years of him shoving it down and saying it was nothing. Years of him turning numb. And now he's feeling again. Because of you. He can feel again.And now the two of you can feel the weight of the past together.