Fear.

Blood was pounding in her ears. No...pounding was not the right term. Roaring was far more accurate. The footfalls of dozens of pursuers echoed ferociously off of the stone walls that ran the length of the corridor. Panic slowly wormed its way through her gut like a sinuous strand, burrowing into the deepest core of her soul. Only the very slight warmth of slender fingers woven through her own spurred her forward.

I see you.

Relea chanced a harried glance over her shoulder. Only darkness glared back at her, as black as the farthest reaches of time. Not a single light was present in the passageway. The lack of illumination felt…unnatural, oppressive. She could feel its presence closing in on her, pressing against her chest, choking the oxygen from her lungs. Terror twisted her vocal chords.

The young Jedi wanted to scream for her Master. The realization that her plea would fall upon deaf ears nearly stopped her in her tracks. The void in the Force was palpable, like a hole carved into her soul with a dull blade. Master Arquilla was gone in every sense of the word, reduced to a bloody, broken mess smeared across the temple's marbled floor.

Suddenly, the darkness parted like dawn slicing through the gloom. The Padawan plunged into a cavernous great hall, the ceiling supported by towering pillars. Glowing marbles of blue flame lined the walls, casting the chamber in an ethereal haze. Multiple exits pleaded for her attention, like ghostly sirens calling to sailors.

He was playing with her like a puppet on a string, smothering her with inexperience and fear. Her mind was a raw, gaping maw that required little effort to fracture. Terror gripped her soul like fingers closed around her throat. Her joints were screaming at her to collapse, to just stop, to succumb to the oblivion that had snatched her Master away. Let go… just let him take you…do what he desires with you…
No!

Instantly, the Relea surged forward, thrusting the pain that tore at her limbs away with a vengeance. The newfound strength was a terrifying fire smoldering in her veins. She gasped, her lungs
ablaze. She tore across the hall towards a set of crude stairs cut into the far wall, spiraling upwards towards the surface.
Her surroundings were a muddled blur, each step melding into the next in a dizzying spiral. Her stomach churned violently.

I can feel you.

The Padawan leapt blindly into the air, the Force lifting her towards a tiny alcove carved into the wall high above her head. She landed hard, the wind knocked roughly from her lungs, the cold stone biting into her back. The child was sprawled across her chest. The young Jedi gaped at her. Enormous blank eyes stared back. They seemed to stare past her, through her, at something that the Padawan could not see herself. Her aura glowed violently bright in the Force, a startling mixture of gentle, brutal power.

The pair's pursuers poured through the doorway. The young woman scuttled backwards until her back was pressed against the alcove's farthest corner, the little girl gathered in her arms.

I will break you.

He slithered through her skull like an oiled serpent, into the deepest pit of fears and hatred that resided in her brain. He sunk his claws into the soft flesh. Her head started to pound, feeling as if it was about to be torn in half. The Padawan whimpered and started to quiver, balling her fist into her mouth to stifle her screams. Please…

The child slowly rose to her feet and took a hesitant step towards the opening of the alcove. Eyes widening, the Jedi scrambled towards her. Two glowing eyes made her freeze. The girl turned away and peered down over the edge. Hisfollowers had filled the room below, shrouded in black robes that seemed to merge with the darkness. They were silent as they searched for their prey, Force pikes gripped tightly in their fists bathed the room in a soft violet glow.

Do not give in, Relea. This is not your time.

The girl shuffled forward and raised her arms above her head. Eyes closed, she concentrated. Slowly, white-hot light sparked at her fingertips. The men below shouted to one another as they took notice of the glow growing steadily from the alcove.

The Padawan's mouth slowly opened in an expression of silent horror. The light had twisted and morphed into a monstrous glowing, sparking sphere that had completely enveloped the young girl in front of her. She stood motionless within the orb, a massive lightning storm raging wildly around her. Without hesitation, the child stepped forward…right off the ledge.
"No!" Relea lunged, fumbling for the silver cylinder hanging from her belt. She landed roughly to the ground below, her bones screaming in protest. Dragging herself to a standing position, the young Jedi was about to ignite her blade when the child turned towards her. White flames danced in her eyes. With arms raised, she shrieked.

The sphere exploded in a blinding flash. Lightning discharged and filled the room, crawling across every surface. Relea gasped and shielded her eyes. The Sith warriors screamed, their eye ablaze as the lightning snaked across their bodies. Slowly, they levitated, writhing and squirming under the blaze. The atmosphere crackled and snapped with pure energy, the light glowing brighter and brighter…and just like that…

Dozens of empty robes fluttered to the ground in smoking piles. Extinguished Force pikes clattered and rolled away. Stray sparks spit and sputtered. Relea painfully opened her eyes. Groaning, she turned on to her stomach. Her eyes widened as she crawled towards a crumpled robe and gently ran her fingers over the fabric. It was warm to the touch but empty. In fact, there was no sign of battle. Not one body could be seen in the entire room.

A tiny figure lay in the center of the room, her pale skin glowing faintly. Relea knelt next to her and gently turned her over on her back. "Please, please wake up." She whispered, her voice hoarse as she pleaded and shook the child. "We made it this far…please." The image of Master Arquillis, broken and bloodied in a heap, raced through her mind. She could not allow her Master's great sacrifice to have been in vain. The Order had lost one of the greats for nothing if she did not act, and act now.

Grunting with the effort, she gathered the young girl into her arms and headed towards the opening that led outside.

The air was thick and heavy; humid and damp like the moments after a summer downpour. Stifling waves of yellowed grass parted reluctantly before Relea's lightsaber as she swung to clear a path. Gnarled, mottled gray trees twisted out of the grass. Mud squelched beneath Relea's boots as she plodded along, walking unsteadily under the girl's weight.

Yavin 4's evening sky was a muddy bronze. Peaked mountains cast black silhouettes against the glare of a setting sun. Darkened clouds were forming on the horizon.

She half carried, half dragged the child through the marsh, the mud climbing to their knees. Towering strands of grass seemed to stretch ahead in every direction. Closing her eyes, she reached out in the Force.

Gathering up her nerves, her robes, and the young girl, Relea headed resolutely northeast.

Master Arquilla's starfighter was nestled snugly in the clearing, flanked on all sides by towering trees. A runyip was snuffling along the ground beneath the aircraft, grunting and squawking as it sifted through the dirt. Its long ears perked as Relea approached. The beast paused, a clawed foot hanging in the air as it looked over its shoulder. Clods of soil were dangling from its broad, squared snout. It emitted a high pitched squeal before tearing off into the underbrush.

Relea laid the girl on a battered wing and scrambled into the cockpit. Moss was already forming on the controls. The Padawan pressed a few buttons on the panel and flipped a switch. "This is Padawan Relea Esune'. I'm on Yavin 4 with Master Ar-" She paused, shocked at her lack of remembrance for her Master's death. "I'm on Yavin 4 alone and I need assistance." The panel remained dark, a fissure running up the center, exposing a muddled mess of circuits and wires. She pressed the button again. "This is Padawan Relea Esune'!" Silence.

She had failed to notce that the crash landing had rendered the starfighter useless, crumpled and broken like a mechanical corpse. T3-H2 remained silent, the droid's flat head hanging sideways. The young Jedi missed his comforting doodles and beeps. The silence was deafening, closing in on her like the darkness in the temple.

Gripping the yokes with shaking hands, she shook them angrily. "What am I supposed to do?! I'm just a Padawan!" Closing her eyes, Relea slumped against the control panel and sobbed.

Thank you for giving my story a try! Please read and review! I will appreciate it so much.