Prologue
Her heart, mind, and feet raced like a galloping horse. She looked death in the eyes and ran as the smoke grew closer. Blue eyes burned a bright red fire and showed the horrors of what she had been a witness to...and of what she has yet to see.
I will find you...
[blaster fire]
Rain poured buckets down onto the Coruscanti streets as the Jedi Knight sped by with what seemed like a whole garrison of Stormtroopers gunning after her. They shouted commands and called for her to stop, but she kept running for her life. If they caught her, there's no telling what they'll do to her. Being killed seemed like a better option.
You can't escape from me this time...
The bright, red-skinned Togruta turned corner after corner, knowing this area rather well. If she could make it to the Underworld, they wouldn't catch her for years with all the scum going on down there. That is...if she can get there. With the Temple massacre over now, a majority of the troops would be called in as backup. She knew him well, and she knew that it was his winning tactic: to surround and constrict. Like a snake.
To her horror, the Stormtroopers sprinting behind her stopped split off, only a few continuing their chase after her. In a moment of frustration, the Jedi halted and used the Force to summon the air conditioning units from the apartment windows above. With a great push, she threw the lot of them into the clones, sending them spiraling towards the ground in a heap. Not allowing herself to celebrate this victory, she turned about and took off again.
But, when she rounded the corner of the apartment building, she ran smack into a squad. They raised their blasters to fire, but she was too quick and started throwing punches. Crack, crack, crack. Bits of plastoid flew everywhere as she kicked, elbowed, kneed, and slammed troopers up against the surrounding walls. A couple dropped their weapons in favor of apprehending her in hand to hand combat, but she maneuvered around them and they met the same fate as their brothers.
After the last Stormtrooper was on the ground groaning in pain, the Togruta took off again, sweat and rain dripping down her face. The white markings on her cheeks were illuminated as lightning crackled off in the distance, a thunderous applause following. Water splashed up her legs as she stomped through the growing puddles. As if it could rain any harder, the sky seemed to open up and cry a river.
But then she felt it….a dark presence that lurked ever closer to her. It was the same cloud of ruin that would follow her for the rest of her life.
A bright light flashed in front of her face and blinded her. Skidding to a halt, the Togruta shielded her eyes from the gunship's torment. Her heartbeat pounded in her head, her breathing hitched in her throat. But she wasn't panicking from the light or the fifty Stormtroopers currently surrounding her. The presence had finally found her and the proximity choked her Force signature, leaving her utterly defenseless.
The mere few seconds before the stun blast hit her allowed her just enough time to see a blob of black partially block the light. Her heart dropped to her stomach and a reign of defeat took over her as did the black pit.
He had caught her.