Sentinel Chapter 1: Intro - Ma-allesh, a star wars fanfic

Star Wars

Sentinel - Intro - Ma-allesh

"That's why you must choose this life yourself. You must want this so much that every time you think about quitting, when you think about giving up… you need to remember why you chose this journey in the first place."

I do not own Star Wars. I do not even own all that much. Honestly, if anyone wants to sue someone, it should be my ADHD having muse.

#-#

"Ma-allesh." I hear Mother's voice whisper. She usually whispers when she's tucking me in. "In Ryl, Ma-allesh is a way to say farewell. Only… It's more than just saying goodbye. It's saying that we'll never truly be apart." I feel her kiss my cheek, then she fixes the sheet one last time. She likes things to be just right.

Mother's been so worried lately. She doesn't say it, but I see it in her eyes. She's been kissing me a lot lately for no reason. Hugging me just one more time. I never told her, but I wake up sometimes at night, feeling her playing with my lekku. My tchun-tchin. Funny names, both of them. I like calling them my braintails – it makes them sound really smart and Father says that only really smart girls get to have really smart braintails.

"Sleep, Una." Mother whispers again. How does she always know when I'm not really sleeping?

#-#

You will learn much during your time there, he'd said. You will barely have time to worry about missing me, she'd said. So far both have been wrong. More than that, I feel awkward travelling with these people – not that that says anything new really.

I've been feeling awkward forever, yet it's a feeling I can't grow used to. Mother says it's normal for a Twi'lek my age, but I wonder about that. It's hard to imagine Mother ever being as graceless and uncomfortable in her skin as I. She's been a dancer and a singer for as long as I can remember. According to Father, she was a dancer when he met her too. He'd been captivated by the way her braintails swayed with her dancing.

Barely sixteen and her braintails were already reaching her lower back. Mine barely reach my neck! Una, you're barely six years old, she'd said. Yeah, thanks. I've got ten years before I need to worry about becoming a graceful as my name implies. Una, of course, means 'graceful' in Ryl. Yeah, graceful. The only daughter of one of the most graceful dancers our race has likely ever seen… and I'm as graceful as a bantha!

It isn't my fault! She shouldn't have encouraged me to 'go and play with your brothers'! Do you know how pointless it is to be graceful when four boys, all older than you, are 'roughhousing' all day?! Whatever that means…

"Heyo dalee." I hear a voice saying over to one side. I don't bother looking up from the spot I've been staring at for the last… well, some time. "Mesa greeting?"

I start playing with the tip of my braintail, wondering how much longer this 'journey' will take. The tall, important looking human took me away from home nearly a month ago. Sure, he said I'm free to leave, but I've heard Olma say that to Mother time and time again. It always comes over as a nice way of saying, 'I dare you to try it.'

"Hidoe?" I feel something taps my left shoulder. I turn, wondering what's going on. No one has really said much to me the entire journey, not that I usually have a whole lot to say. "Ex squeeze me? Masta Skywalker sayen wesa landen soon."

My eyes meet the eyes of the speaker. A head taller than me. Brown, leathery skin. Flappy ears that sort of remind me of my braintails. Eyestalks holding yellowish gold irises, filled with curiosity. Sleek body, probably much stronger than me.

It's wearing long, baggy pants. A short sleeved shirt and a sleeveless vest secured only by a single button. Long arms and legs. Hmm, I can't tell if it's a boy or girl at all. Who knows. Strangely enough, its clothes perfectly match the brown colour of its skin, leathery too. I don't get it.

"Nn." I noise, mostly to show I heard it.

"How wude." It mumbles, not walking away.

"Zaza, stop talking to the wormhead. You know she doesn't like talking." Another appears next to the previous speaker. I know this one's species; she's a human like the one that I now call master. She looks completely different though. Master's skin is light pink, but hers is dark brown. Master's head-fur is brown, stringy and long, hers is twisted, short and black. Master's eyes are blue, hers are brown. I wonder if their species is a varied as the Twi'lek – not that it matters, but I can't help but wonder.

"Mesa no fraidee frog like all-n youse." The one named Zaza spoke again. I bite back a sigh, wondering why they feel the need to trouble me. Things have been going so well, no one troubling me. No bonds to risk losing. Bonds like that Ryn mercenary that likes giving me candy when I bring him his drinks. He's a rough looking one, but he always treated me kindly.

"It's not about bravery, Zaza. It's about respecting her wishes. She desires solitude, so let her have it." Well, the human gets it at least. I give her a once over. Long, skin tight white pants, highlighted orange shoes, violet singlet and a neon green jacket? Seriously? She reminds me of the neon signs outside the tavern – bright enough to attract everyone's attention.

"Mesa tinks dats nutsen. Wesa in dis ting togeder. Mesa tinks shesa juss shy." Zaza says. She has a point – about us being in this together. As for me being shy? I've never met a shy Twi'lek. Sure, less outgoing or less bold about it, but shy? No.

"I'm not shy. I just don't know you." I say. Part of me wonders about how true that really is. I mean, I don't know them, but that usually didn't stop me from taking orders at the tavern.

"Wow, she does talk." The human says with a teasing smile. "I'm Alaiza Ebony, this is Zaza Binks. And you are?" Great! You see what opening my mouth gets me?

"Una Sivron." I've already said more in the last five minutes than I have in the last month.

"Shesa no smilen." Zaza points out. Really. Smaaaaaart.

"Really Zaza? You come here and ruin her perfect silence and expect her to be happy about it? I'd expect that clueless approach from one of the boys, but you?" Alaiza sounds as sarcastic as I think. Wait, Zaza's a girl?!

"Shesa be tanken mesa berry berry soon." Zaza opines. Riiiiight.

"Suuuuure." Alaiza drawls. Okay, whoa! I actually think she and I will get along, we seem sarcastically compatible – we're both sarcastic, I mean.

"Heyo, wesa de only goils okee day!"

"So? Does that mean we have to get along? You're living in a dream world Zaza." Okay… did these two come over here to argue?

"Oyl, moole, moole. Alli spaken too much, okee day? Yousa needen be quiet, okee day? Meesa be tanken you!" Yup, they came here to argue.

"Girls?" I draw their attention to me – not because I want their attention, but because I liked the silence I had before they came bothering me. "Quiet?" Zaza flaps her ears, playing with the tip of one of them; she's also pursing her lips, partly flapping her lower lip. She looks sorry, I guess.

Alaiza on the other hand looks like she wants to roll her eyes, but is refraining. She hides her hands behind her back, looking away from me. Whatever that means. Alaiza is the first to speak. "Master Skywalker said we need to strap in for landing. We're less than five minutes away from Ohma D'un."

I briefly wonder if that means five minutes from when she/they were told, or five minutes after they waste five minutes arguing. Deciding it's a lost cause trying to figure it out, I make my way to one of the seats to buckle up. From the bickering that isn't fading into the distance, I can tell that they are right behind me. Oh joy.

#-#

Gray. Lifeless, soulless, heartless. It's pretty much the only colour I've seen in this metallic beast. Sure they call it a 'ship', but the only ship I've ever seen merely hovers over the sand. I don't know where I am. That bothers me, but it's not weird. Olma likes moving around a lot, and hates saying where we're going, or where we've been. It troubled me then, it troubles me now.

I don't like not knowing. Sadly, the pictures that pop into my mind show only blue. Well, darkish blue. Sometimes light-ish blue. I don't understand. The ship has 'landed' a dozen times before. Each time another 'student' or 'youngling' boards. Sometimes as many as three. I have to give it to this slave collector, she's good. Or crazy.

"Alright everyone. Make sure you're strapped in properly, we're going to have somewhat a bumpy landing." Leia Skywalker announces. I don't know why she speaks to us as much as she does. Every adult on board this 'ship' calls her 'master', she has this air about her, almost like a cloak. But she speaks to us like Mother would speak to us – kind and gentle, but requiring us to obey anyway. She's nothing like Olma.

I start playing with the tip of my braintail, wondering what she means by 'somewhat bumpy'. I can't do anything other than sit and wait.

"Ohma D'un is a water moon. We're going to crash into the water and swim to a city hidden in the depths." One of the boys announces. I don't know, or care, which one it is. Still, what he says bothers me. Why would we be on the moon? And I don't remember reading about water on the moon! Father always used to talk about the ships he works on for Olma, but he never talked about anything going to the moon!

"You mean we gotta swim! I didn't sign on for this man!" Another of the boys was on the verge of freaking out. I just keep twiddling with my braintail, not caring too much about them.

"Mitsa fraidee frog wanna go swimmen?" Zaza teases, probably aimed at the one that was freaking out.

"Zaza, don't worry. You and I can race to see who gets there first!" Alaiza starts the trouble again. I swear, I barely know the two of them, and I already feel years of headaches awaiting me.

"Okee day!" I bite back a sigh, wondering when I'm going to get- "Ona, yousa comen too, okee day?" I assume 'Ona' is how she pronounces my name. It sounds like Oh-nah, the way she said it, but I'm used to it sounding more like Ooh-nah. Still, she says most things a little funny, so I'll just let it slide.

"Hnn." I noise. Not even I know if that means 'yes' or 'no'.

"Wow, wormhead can talk? I thought she was a mute!" One of the boys – who is being ignored – announces. Wow. Never been called a wormhead before. What a joy.

The 'ship' suddenly starts shivering. I've had bumpier rides before, so it doesn't bother me that much. Still, I can almost swear I hear a high pitched screech behind me. The only known girls – Zaza and Alaiza – are sitting down next to me, just so you know. Well, other than Leia Skywalker, she's over there somewhere – up some weird hole that I don't really care to figure out where it leads.

"Shut it, Nautiloid!" Alaiza barks at him – defending me, I think. I bite back another sigh. I really am in no mood for people. I haven't been in the mood for people since Mother told me that I was going to 'study' under a new master. She knows how much I like reading and picking things apart until I understand them, so she probably wanted to make it sound as fun as she could.

The shivering increases. The high pitched screeching behind me increases. The urge to sigh at the den of idiots I find myself in increases. Then the ship gives a good shudder. The boy that was screeching, bawls like he's dying. Then the urge to sigh becomes too much. I stop playing with my braintail and start massaging the base of my braintail – the sensation calms me down.

Mother always told me that a lady should never sigh. Not that I'm much of a lady, but I try to be on my best behaviour when important people are around. Seeing that Leia Skywalker is within hearing distance – not that that says much, seeing as she seems to claims to hear dust hitting 'the ship's hull'… whatever that means.

Olma never did like me reading any books that weren't about music, food or girly things like makeup. Can't say I understand much else. Not that it means that I am or can be super girly… having the knowledge is not the same as knowing how to apply it. Almost none of the magazines I've read had a lot that is useful to Twi'leks. Yeah, useful information right there. I can tell you how many shades of pink there are and what colours to match it with, but I can't tell you which ones will mesh well with my light blue complexion. That's kinda weird… how can I know and not know at the same time? Umm…

"We're heeeere!" Leia Skywalker sings. Yay?

#-#

We make our way out of the 'ship'. It feels like it's been forever since I said goodbye in the tavern. I don't expect much to be different outside. I mean, how many parts of dessert can be different? So imagine my surprise when my eyes adjust to…

"Frotz…" Oops, that kind of slipped out – honest! Still, looking before me and seeing nothing but water… I've never seen so much water! Everywhere! Water! There seems to be some kind of barrier keeping the water out, but it is EVERYWHERE! Whoa…

The whole place seems to be some kind of giant bubble of air trapped underwater. For some reason I fear that stepping off the ramp and onto the platform in front of me will make the whole thing pop. It's kind of intimidi… intimur… scary to be honest. "Da machineeks to keep da water out, deysa made by Gungans! Wesa berry berry smart! So Ona no worry, okee day?" Not very comforting Zaza. Not comforting at all.

My eyes meet Leia Skywalker's. I hope that she can't see how scared I am, but from the little smile on her face I doubt it. "Come on, Una." She waves for me to cometo her. I look down at the sturdy looking metal platform, then I look back out at the water that seems to want to wash me away. I should have stayed in the desert!

Still, nothing good comes from making my master wait. I tap the platform with my sandal. Once. Twice. Still unsure, I tap it a third time – a little harder this time. Finally, I feel someone shove me. My body kind of flies forward and I have to make a few large strides to not fall flat on my face.

"What mesa spake? Barrier no pop if yousa walken on da gound! Yousa stop be fraidee frog, okee day?!" I turn and glare at Zaza, but say nothing. Turning back to Leia Skywalker, she waves me over once again. I walk over to her, trying not to seem rushed, and we start walking in some random direction together.

I'm too busy studying every single detail around me to really care where we're going. The strange textures, the funny flowing things that 'keep water out', the funny lights that glow different to the light in the tavern. Everything is different. It's like I walked into a completely different world. I see so many different kinds of people walking around – some I know the name of, some I don't.

Everyone is dressed different here though. Everything is cleaner, the people are cleaner. They smell better too! Wow! And everyone's clothes are so spotless, completely clean! Even those wearing the strange brown cloaks and hoods that hide every detail; they are spotless too! It's amazing! No sand anywhere at all!

"This must all be so alien to you." Leia Skywalker says. I'm not sure if she wants me to speak as well – I'm pretty used to 'Answer my question!'. "Do you like it?" Okay, that is a question.

"It's beautiful." I answer honestly. It's warmer in here that the 'ship' had been, but it's still a lot cooler than I was used to. I start fiddling with my braintail tip again, nervous and wondering what to say – or if I should say anything at all. Mother always tells me that my mouth will land me in trouble one day, so I try to keep it shut around anyone that can arrange such an event.

"You must find it pretty cold here. I know it took me a while to get used to it." She says, again trying to get me to speak when not asked a direct question. That makes me nervous. "Are you cold?" She finally asks me directly.

"A little." Frotz! Now she'll probably think I'm complaining that she doesn't give me enough clothing to keep warm! Great! I keep my trap shut for a whole month and still wind myself in trouble the first chance I get!

"I thought so. Here." She offers me her own coat. As in the one she was wearing until like a second ago. I freeze in my tracks. This is not something that happens everyday. She is offering me the clothes off her back to make me a little more comfortable. I eye the coat – it looks warm. I meet her gaze again, finding nothing but a warm smile there.

I hesitate, twiddling with my braintail tip a bit more. My gut feeling tells me that she is really offering it to me, just so that I may be a little warmer. I trust my guy feeling, it's never lead me wrong. Yet something is screaming more profanities through my mind than I believe I know how to speak – bad things I've been through.

"It's okay." She tells me, rubbing my hand gently – yes, the one that is still fiddling with my braintail tip. She tugs my hand away from my comfort, slipping it into the sleeve of the coat. "I'm not going to get upset." I've heard that said a thousand times before, but never as kind as this one time.

She helps me to put on the coat properly, even going as far as fastening the belt that keeps it closed. The entire time my gaze is fixed on her face, trying to pinpoint the exact moment any angry kind of look rears its head. The only thing I see the entire time is a gentle smile. She even carefully arranges my braintails over my shoulder – one on each side of my neck, but outside the coat.

A wave of pleasure washes over me from her gentle touch. It's not weird or uncomfortable. She almost reminds me of Mother, how she always took her time to make sure every detail was just right. Not in a fussy or bossy way either. Mother was always gentle with me. Almost makes me wonder why she always insisted I play with my brothers.

"There. All set." She smiles a little wider. She stands up a straight again and offers me her hand, like she wants us to hold hands. Why didn't she just take my hand? I mean, if she 'owns' me like Olma did… why would she want to wait until I take her hand? Why is she putting her clothes on me to keep me warm?

I look at her again, right in the eyes. She smiles again, but still doesn't grab my hand. She wants me to grab hers. I smile a little at her, nervous and not unsure. "Don't you want to come see your new room?" She asks. Her eyes twinkle like the stars in the desert at night. I can't see or feel anything but warmth and kindness. She's nice.

I put my hand in hers, wondering why I trust her. I don't understand – that bothers me a little. She just smiles a little wider at me, like she understands what I'm thinking; like she understands what's bothering me. I smile a little wider too. She's just like Mother.

#-#

Further and further into this funny underwater place. Master Leia calls it a city, says it's called the temple. I don't really know a lot about temples. I haven't seen one magazine saying anything about any place anything like this place either. "Do you remember why you came with me?" Master Leia asks. I turn to her, looking away from the funny looking fish swimming by.

"Mother said you are my new master." I tell her. It's pretty much all Mother said at all. I do remember some funny game we played though, like I had to guess what picture she was looking at without me actually seeing it. It was boring and pretty strange. Well, it didn't last very long, so I didn't mind too much.

"I am a master, yes. Only, I'm not the kind of master you're thinking about." Master Leia told me. "I'm a Jedi Master. Do you know what a Jedi is?"

"Jedi? Like the ones in the stories Father likes to tell me?" I ask her. "The ones that made the emperor disappear?"

"That's right. Luke became the Jedi Grand Master, but there aren't a lot of us left. So I go out once a year to see if we can find some bright children just like you guys to become Jedi one day too." She says. She thinks I'm bright? "I kind of cheated with you though."

I look at her, wondering what he means. The look in her eyes makes me nervous, so I start playing with my braintail tip again. "Olma wanted to sell you to the Sith. They're really bad people that like to hurt others. Just like the Emperor, he was a Sith too." I knew I wasn't going to like her answer.

"Are they going to come after me?" I ask. I remember dreaming about bad people wearing black and red coming for me. I used to tell Mother about it, but she started getting so worried about me that I stopped telling her about my nightmares.

"No. They won't come after you." She says. "That's why your mother begged me to take you immediately." I look down at my sandals. Mother bought me these sandals. They're old and smell a little funny, but they're mine.

"They killed her. Didn't they." I start crying, not needing her answer. I remember that first night on the 'ship'… Mother tucked me in and kissed me goodnight, just like she always used to. It didn't make sense. I mean, if Mother didn't come on the 'ship', then how could she tuck me in?

Master Leia gets shorter all of a sudden, like she sat down but not quite. She smiles at me, looking like she wants to cry a little herself. "You're mother loves you, Una. She loves you so much that she gave everything to keep you safe." She smoothes my face a little, wiping away my tears.

"That's why I cheated a little to take you with me." She says. "Normally I'd have this talk before I even let you on my ship. It just wasn't possible then. I'm sorry about that."

"I understand." She smoothes my face on more time, taking my hand and we start walking to the funny looking building in front of us. Zaza and Alaiza are right next to us; their eyes are sad too.

"Una, you're here to learn to become strong. Strong enough to protect people just like your mother." She tells me in a voice that reminds me of a desert storm – it won't be ignored and it won't give into anything. "We can't save everyone, I'm afraid. But we do our best."

I think about her words. I wonder about what she's saying without saying it in words. "To stop people like the emperor."

"Yes. To stop people just like that. The emperor may be gone, but there are still people just like him out there. We need you to become strong to help us stop them, before they can kill others."

In front of us, the building stands tall, with its roof towering over every other building. "This will be your home now. You will train harder each and every day. You will study to learn as much as you can. But we will also teach you more than that. We will teach you to use the Force. It won't be easy. You're going to want to quit time and time again."

To protect people. To stop people like the emperor. To stop… the Sith.

End Into.

#-#

A/N: Seriously, you sit down and watch an old rerun on tv and what happens? Your muse jump kicks you, calls you a lazy good for nothing and orders you to slave away in front of a laptop. It isn't right I tell ya! Do you even know how much research went into this short ass chapter?

Oh well. This story is not going to be a high priority though. But if my muse has anything to say about it, I'll probably be back pretty quickly. Leave a review! It's like cocaine to my muse - she LOVES IT! Yeah, get her addicted and she's going to hound me a 2 AM to force me to write... it's usually when she bugs me most.