Cocoons

By JainaSkylar

Chapter One

(12 ABY)

Luke Skywalker walked down one of the hallways in the Jedi Temple. He paused at a door and sighed. Shana Furi, a six year old student at the Jedi Temple had grown up on the same planet as Luke Skywalker himself, Tatooine. Just a few moments ago, Luke had gotten a transmission from the planet, saying that a terrible tragedy had occurred: Shana's parents had been murdered in Tuscan Raider attack. The task had been left to Luke to inform Shana that her parents had been killed. But how was he, or anyone else for that matter, supposed to tell a six year old girl that her parents had been killed? What was he supposed to say? 'Shana, your parent's have died and you're now all alone in this big, enormous galaxy, sorry. Have a nice life!'?

No, that would never work. He'd have to be kind and gentle.

He heard the sound of laughter coming from the room and playful growling and screaming. He placed his hand on the door. He felt six presences in the room. Shana and her friends, Brandyn, Marvyn, Jalil, Ami, and Anisa. He smiled as he thought, 'Let her have her fun for today; I'll tell her tomorrow.'

He took his hand off the door as he walked back up the hallway.

Luke walked down the same hallway towards the same door. He had tried for three days to tell her. Today was the fourth. He had to tell her today. He paused again in front of the door and felt the warm feel of doubts filling his mind. How much easier it would be to follow those thoughts instead of telling her. He was just about to pull away from the door, when he had a vision.

Shana stood in the hangar, bags in hand, waiting for her parents to show up. Shana looked older, about two years older; she was now eight years old. She looked around at the group of children being picked up by their parents for vacations. She wore a light blue dress with a lighter stripe winding down her dress. She had her hair in a ponytail and a blue sash tied around it. A man, Luke saw that it was one of his trainees at the Temple, knelt down and told Shana something. Shana's eyes started watering and her lip started trembling as she shook her head, 'No'. The man nodded his head slowly. Shana shook her head harder and dropped her bags and, crying, ran out of the hangar.

Luke realized that this would be the future if he didn't go into Shana's room and tell her. He imagined what it would be like to find out two years after it had happened that someone you loved had died. He couldn't do that to such a young girl. He looked at the door in front of him and pushed it open before he could have any other second thoughts envelop him.

Shana looked up from a game she was playing with her friend, Brandyn. The game was paused and Luke stepped into the room. He looked at Brandyn and said, "Brandyn, could you leave the room for a moment? I need to talk to Shana."

Brandyn immediately got up and left the room. Shana looked up Luke and Luke stared at her. At her long shimmering slivery blond hair, her gleaming blue eyes, and, he knew that once he told her the news, she would never be the same. Luke looked around and walked over to her bed and sat down. "Shana, come and sit over here for a moment, please."

Shana obeyed and came to sit next to Luke. She looked up at him in anticipation of what he had to say. "Yes, Master Skywalker?" She asked.

He looked down at her and said, "Shana, I'm afraid I have some bad news.

Brandyn leaned up against the cool stone wall. He was worried for his friend. He could sense Master Skywalker's unease as he stepped into the room. Even though he was only seven, he was very sensitive to emotions. So even though he couldn't hear the conversation, he listened, to their emotions.

Master Skywalker had the feeling of sorrow, regret. Maybe even a little anxiety. Shana held the constant feel of curiosity. Suddenly, Shan's curiosity turned into confusion. Then, Brandyn's senses screamed with grief, extreme sadness, and disbelief; all coming from Shana. Something that Master Skywalker had said had mad Shana react this way. Soon, the emotions became too intense, and, screaming slightly, Brandyn broke the contact and fell on the ground.

He got up and brushed himself off just as Master Skywalker left the room. When the door was open, he could hear Shana crying. Master Skywalker shut the door just as Brandyn walked up to it. Luke bent down and looked Brandyn in the eye as he told him, "Brandyn, I think Shana needs to be left alone now."

"But she's my best friend, I have to go see her!" he pleaded. Luke shook his head.

"No, Brandyn, she needs to be alone right now. She asked to be alone. And since you're her friend, you need to honor that wish."

"What does honor mean?" Brandyn asked.

Luke took a breath and thought about how to answer that. "Honor," he explained, "is respect. So, if you respect Shana's wish, you'll let her be alone for right now. She'll let you see her when she's ready." Luke patted him on the shoulder sadly as he stood and walked away and left Brandyn standing, staring at Shana's door. Brandyn placed his hand on the door and sent the feeling of happiness and joy into the room so that hopefully, Shana would feel it and know he was there. Once he had sent the feeling, he turned and went to his room.