Forevermore
Chapter One
Anakin passed through the massive open doors into the Jedi Archives. Trying not to dwell on the storm of mixed emotions inside him, Anakin's thoughts began to drift to his conversation with Master Yoda a few moments ago.
"Conflicted you are young Padawan?" asked Master Yoda, the Force already giving him his answer.
"Yes, Master. So many emotions and feelings have been overwhelming me lately after several recent events…"
"Hmmm," grunted the green little Jedi Master, a yellowed talon resting on his chin in thought.
"I-I realize the Jedi aren't supposed to form attachments or allow compassion to dominate them but I just can't help it," stammered Anakin his Padawan braid resting on his shoulder.
"For Senator Amidala?" inquired Yoda raising an eyebrow.
"Yes…and someone else," mumbled Anakin quietly.
"These feelings are common for many around your age Padawan, but remember that compassion leads to jealousy and jealousy leads to the dark side," warned Yoda.
"I know Master, I just need to calm the storm inside of me and figure things out," replied Anakin.
"Then perhaps the answers you seek lie in the past and not the future Padawan."
Anakin snapped back into reality after nearly walking straight into Master Shaak Ti. "Careful Padawan Skywalker," smiled Shaak warmly.
"S-Sorry," he stuttered.
"Are you looking for something in the Archives?" asked Master Ti curiously.
"Master Yoda told me that in order to solve my emotions raging inside of me that I had to look into the past and not worry about the future," said Anakin, "But I have no idea where to start."
"Many male Padawans around your age run into this problem…but I think the Tale of Auron and Callum will help you to solve the storm raging inside of you Skywalker," she replied before descending the small staircase leading out of the Archives, headed for the upper reaches of the Temple.
Anakin weaved in and out of rows of thousands of holocrons and data cards before finally finding a secluded small portion of a shelf with several stacks of datacrons labeled as The Tale of Auron and Callum.
He carefully gathered each one and headed over to a console and copied the datacrons onto a card before putting them back. He hurried out of the library towards his personal chambers a few floors up. Anakin keyed in a code to unlock the door's security mechanism and slipped inside, the door automatically closing behind him.
He headed over towards the small holoprojector lying on top of a small table in the corner of his quarters. He slipped the card in and played the first entry with a deep breath. An image of a teenage boy almost identical to himself appeared on the projector. After a few moments, the boy began to speak brushing his already darkening hair out of his face with two fingers.
"My name is Auron Coven. The reason I have decided to start these entries is to pass this story and its important message down for generations who have the same type of problems I did while growing into adulthood. Of a society, that tried to stop love and forbade interaction with outsiders. You may not have the same restrictions and hardships that I had to face but I think your plight may be similar to mine," began Auron calmly, "Now open your mind to the Force so you may see what I saw, feel what I felt, and hear the things I did," he commanded.
Anakin took another deep breath before closing his eyes and opened himself to the torrent of the Force feeling it surge through him feeling a strange sense of calm settle over himself for once. "Listen closely Padawan," whispered Auron inside his mind, "I know how you feel and what I have to show you will give the answers you seek."
Anakin nodded and whispered, "I'm ready."
He felt his presence drift away from his body in his quarters to soar across the galaxy, millions of stars a blur before coming to a halt deep in the Unknown Regions before a world covered with lush forests and mountains, as well as many deserts and expanses of tundra across its sparse continents spread far and thin between enormous bodies of pristine, crystal-clear water.
"Our tale begins at the world that exists unbeknownst to the Republic deep in the Unknown Regions known as Kalikina Minor. It's a small moon orbiting Kalikina Major cut off from the rest of the universe. I was born into a lower class family of merchants and soldiers in the kingdom of Frebourne. I want you to see this through my own eyes."
Before Anakin could utter compliance, his eyes snapped open to stare at a steel-paneled ceiling and found himself in a rather uncomfortable bed with only a thin layer of sheets and blankets separating him from the metallic surface. He jumped out of the bed and sprinted outside hearing the dull sound of explosions in the distance.
Auron opened the door to the small house and stepped outside staring at the beginning of daybreak on the horizon. Plumes of smoke rose from miles away. Galark Village!
All of the men from his town watched the thick black plumes of smoke rise into the sky in the distance. "What are we going to do?" asked a woman cradling a small child protectively in her arms, "Baron Calmere hasn't sent any of his men to stop their advance and to fortify the town."
"They'll get here in time," said an older man reassuringly, "They wouldn't abandon us like that."
"The Coyotes are almost here though," protested another man standing in a nearby field harvesting the crops.
Silence took over the growing crowd, "We won't let them take our town. We can't! The children will have to leave before they arrive. They must head to Auracle City," shouted a merchant. "But I want to stay and fight!" protested Auron.
"You're too young," snapped his father, "You have to protect the others and guide them to Auracle, you've been there before with your mother and I."
Auron opened his mouth to protest but then thought against it, "When do we leave?"
"At sunset," replied his father.
X
Callum stood on top of a small hill overlooking the devastation his father had wrought on Galark. What has he done? There will never be peace after this. This constant fighting among ourselves is such a waste of life.
Callum spotted his father emerging from one of the larger tents popping up all around the scorched earth, "And what the purpose of this?!" demanded Callum, bee lining straight for the older man.
Callum's father dismissed him with a threatening look, "To teach the Frebourne a lesson about who really rules this world," he said coldly.
"This is exactly why our two kingdoms are always at war. Do you even remember what peace is like? Because for my whole life all I've known is war. There's more to life than playing war father," he retorted hotly.
"Do not chastise me like a child Callum. I'm doing what's best for our people. The sooner the Frebourne are suppressed, then we will all know peace," he replied his lips a thin, determined line.
"And at what cost? Thousands of lives of innocents that just wish to live out their lives," bellowed Callum beginning to attract the attention of many soldiers nearby, "Just stop the nonsense now before the army moves on Ferreira."
"My decision is final," hissed his father, "Do not precede to tell me how to run my kingdom. I honestly don't know if I can rest with having you as my heir. You couldn't produce yourself an heir to the throne anyway queer. You are too friendly with the Frebourne. For this your brother, Naissus, will replace you in line for the throne."
Callum flinched as if slapped by his father's words. "Well I guess that's that," he said quietly, his voice a mere husk of what it had been before.
He spun on his heel and stormed off away from the camp wanting to leave everything behind. "Where are you going?" demanded his father, his voice echoing down to him. Callum kept walking silently vanishing over a hill watching the sun began to descend towards the peaks of the mountains dotting the horizon. I should go to Auracle City to plea to them. If I can't reach my father, then no one can. It's time for his bloody tyranny to come to an abrupt end.
Callum spotted Ferreira only a few miles away already spotting the tall windmills dominating any of the houses in town in their sheer size. If my father has his way, then all that will be left of this place will be ashes.
Instinctively his hand dropped to his hip at the holster containing his blaster pistol. He doubted the Frebourne would be very happy to see a Coyote Prince after Galark. Tall rows of a corn-like plant rose up to about seven to eight feet tall, providing just the right amount of cover to avoid unwanted attention to scout patrols.
Callum peered through the bundle of leaves to see a large crowd of children beginning to gather as the first hints of dusk began to appear in the sky. Callum's eyes darted through the crowd, his curiosity not piqued by anyone passing by.
And then he saw him.
A/N: Well! If I can say so myself, I think I'm off to a great start already. Sorry have to get the storyline rolling to get to the yaoi. Don't worry there will definitely be yaoi in the third or fourth chapter. Anyway, review, favorite, follow, PM me with all of your usual delightful feedback I get from everyone. I happy to answer any questions or take suggestions from my readers.
Give thanks to AxOforever in your reviews for this wonderful story title. She is one of my lost loyal fans and readers and check out her AniObi stories if you haven't already. Captured Heart is a really great read.
