Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Star Wars, George Lucas does. Nevan Caleius is, in a way, my own character that will only be used in this fic. Anyway, on with the tale.
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My name is Nevan. Nevan Caleius. I am nine years old. And so I have been for the last long amount of years.
But I bet you wonder; how can that be? I'm hardly immortal. But then you come to another conclusion - I'm dead. You have it right. I did die when I was nine. So that means that my name's not Nevan, my name was Nevan. I am nameless now, as a spirit. And although I'm only nine as a spirit, I'm wiser, so I suppose I speak like Master Yoda but not as cryptic.
And how did I die? Well, as you read on, you will find out, but for now I can tell you: I don't know if I can forgive Master Anakin Skywalker.
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When I was alive, I was brave and stubborn, yet I hated hearing the sounds of war. I'd never really lived during a war right beside my house or anything like that, but the very word just sounded so…sinister. But when Master Kir suddenly mentioned the words 'clones' and 'rebellion', I knew what those words meant, and my friends and I - all younglings - were afraid.
My seven-year-old brother Riku had always been a touch tougher and wirier than I was. But that had washed away from his face. I stood beside him and glanced at his now pale, white face and terrified eyes. I put my hands on his shoulders and started to whisper.
"Riku…we have to run away to the safest place. Come on." I stared at Master Kir. "Where do we go?"
"There is a room a floor up from here and to the left where the clones have not attacked yet. Go, younglings, go. Run as fast as you can. I will stay here and try to defeat any that come to kill me. Now!"
We nodded hurriedly and dashed out of the room.
"Nevan…" Riku whispered in an unnaturally high voice. "Will Master Skywalker come to save and help us?"
Oh, yes. Anakin Skywalker. Riku idolized him greatly and always counted on him in times of danger.
I bit my bottom lip as I ran faster and faster up a winding staircase. I knew he wouldn't come; it was just what I thought. But how could I make it so I wasn't letting my brother down?
"D-don't wor-worry," I managed to say as I led the other younglings (I was the oldest) into the room that Master Kir had been speaking of. "This is where we have to hide."
We all crouched behind a strangely large chair in the corner, hoping and wishing that the clones wouldn't find us. I clasped Riku's hand as I took a deep breath. Now would be a good time to make use of my limited lightsaber skills.
Out of the blue, I heard footsteps. Daring to move my head from behind the chair, I noticed a hooded figure with a blue lightsaber.
"Who is it?" one of the younglings, a young girl by the name of Madelin, asked quietly.
"Is it Master Skywalker?" Riku tugged at my hand.
I leaned closer towards whoever the hooded figure might be. Riku was right. "Yes, it is."
Riku pasted an ear-to-ear grin on his face, panting. "Please…"
Slowly, Anakin Skywalker walked into the room. Riku rushed out before I could stop him, but stopped himself in time.
"Master Skywalker, there are too many of them. What are we going to do?"
From what I could see, his face darkened. I heard a buzz as he ignited his lightsaber. I couldn't bear it. I had to see what was going on for myself.
"Psst. C'mon." I knew I wasn't being the best leader like Master Kir or Yoda, but it was all I could do. One by one, we stepped out from behind the chair.
Anakin raised his lightsaber…
"No!" I called out softly as I ignited my own green one and raised it above my head. I wasn't too sure how to hold it properly.
And Riku…I will never forget what happened that minute.
Moments after Anakin raised his lightsaber, he brought it down on Riku. I was trying to protect my younger friends, so I didn't notice. That was the biggest mistake of my life…not seeing the wounding of my younger brother.
Buzz, flash, scream, gasp…buzz, flash, scream, gasp…I will never forget my companions dying at the blade of the deadly saber. Before I knew it, I was the only one left.
Ashar was dead. He had been my best friend, and now he lay with an ugly cut in his chest.
Madelin was dead. While only an acquaintance of mine, she was renowned among us younglings for being one of the only girls.
Xan, Nim, Tijan-Lo...more of my friends…all of my fellow younglings…they were all either dead or at the brink of death, hanging by a thread.
I darted a few steps over to my fallen brother, turning him over with my foot onto his back. There was a nasty gash across his left cheek, but because lightsabers burn, there was no blood running down onto his torn clothes.
"No! Riku!" I gasped, holding back tears. I wiped a bit of drying blood off his nose and stood up, staring in Anakin's eyes with anger. How could he have betrayed us like that? And why?
But I wasn't quick enough. The last thing I saw were the fury in his eyes - golden-red. It was true - he had turned to the Dark Side.
And Riku was killed too early and too fast to find out that his mentor was now his enemy.