Running
She should have known better, now the Empire would know where to find her. Well, the first thing to do was to leave this place. There was no where for her to hide here. But where could she go? She was on a forsaken desert planet on the edge of the galaxy. That left only one option: try and get off the planet before the stormtroopers could close the spaceport. She glanced around the room. There was nothing left for her here. She'd tried to keep a low profile and had failed. She grabbed her small knapsack and stuffed her few belongings, credits, what little food she had left inside. She picked up her lightsaber and clipped it to her belt. No point in hiding it anymore. And besides, she might need it.
She knew this was going to happen. But what other choice had she had? Let the child die? Even if the order no longer existed, it was still her duty to protect others. So she had saved the child when he fell off of the city wall. Then she saw him. The man she had seen reporting to the storm troopers. Of course he would tell. But it had been worth it. Even if it cost her her life she had held onto her beliefs. Even the Emperor himself couldn't take those away.
"My Lord, an urgent report has arrived from Tatooine for you."
"What is it?"
"The garrison sends notice of a confirmed Jedi sighting. The woman was seen preventing a child from falling to the ground at a speed that would have killed him. She caused him to stop in mid-air and then set him on the ground. She ran as soon as she made sure the child was safe."
"What did she look like?"
"She was a human with red hair that reached the middle of her back. She was tall approximately 1.8 meters. Green eyes and purple reverse teardrop tattoos beneath her eyes."
"Very well. Inform the garrison I want her alive, close the ports and use all means necessary to find her. Tell the captain to set course for Tatooine."
"Yes sir."
"So Lelia Anjikuro, you have surfaced at last."
Lelia grabbed her speeder bike and turned it toward the spaceport. She knew she had to leave but where to go? All of her friends were dead. She took off down the alley avoiding trash and people alike. She parked the bike outside the travel agency and opened the door.
"Hello there!" a blue Twi'lek called out to her. "And what can I help you with this fine day?"
"I need a ticket for a ship off the planet."
"Any destination in particular?"
"It doesn't matter. What leaves soonest?"
"Well, we have two that both leave in half an hour. One is going to Corellia and the other to Naboo."
"Hmm." Lelia thought. Naboo is a quieter world more close knit while Corellia is a bustling trade world easier to lose myself in. "I'll take a ticket for the ship to Corellia."
"Here you go. Your shuttle leaves from dock F34."
"Thank you."
Well I guess I had better get to my ship she thought as she walked towards the corner of the street. As she glanced around looking for landspeeders she spotted stormtroopers entering the agency. Shoot! Now they'll know which ship I'm supposed to be on. And sure enough she spotted several of the men split off and begin heading in the direction of her dock. She quickly put her hood up to avoid being spotted she kept moving towards the port knowing that getting off planet ASAP was her only chance of surviving this situation. She found a takeoff schedule and located the flight to Naboo. Looks like I don't have a choice. She started running towards the ship. She dashed up the boarding plank and handed her ticket to the attendant.
"Ma'am, I believe you're on the wrong ship."
"No this is my flight." Lelia replied giving a discreet wave of her hand.
"Of course it is, my mistake. Please take your seat we begin takeoff in 2 minutes."
Lelia chose an empty seat in the middle of the shuttle and sat down. As she did she saw stormtroopers surrounding a shuttle at the end of the bay. As the engines fired up she thanked the Force that they hadn't found her, but she knew her respite wouldn't last for long.
As soon as the shuttle landed, Lelia started wandering around town looking for a place to hole up. After a few minutes, she noticed a man following her and not very discreetly. She turned into an alley and stepped behind an open doorway. When he came around the corner she grabbed him asked "Who are you and why are you following me?"
"My name is Roy Shinkon and I have been trying to catch up with you. I received a message from one of our men on Tatooine to be on the lookout for you."
"What do you mean?" she asked giving him an incredulous look
"Well you see I am a member of an organization created to try and help people, such as yourself, who are forced to flee and hide from the Empire. One of our agents had a layover on Tatooine and saw you save that child. He was going to try and help you but you took off and he lost track of you. So he followed the stormtroopers and when they didn't drag you off of the shuttle to Corellia he figured out what you must have done."
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"I guess I'll just have to prove myself. And it looks like my first chance is coming up fast. Stormtroopers are coming down the street. Fast. Looks like I wasn't the only one who spotted you. Come on. This way. I know a place we can hide out for awhile."
"My Lord, it appears that Lelia Anjikuro has escaped our men on Tatooine. They suspect she snuck aboard a ship to Naboo leaving at the same time as the one she was believed to be on. The security holos from the Kadaara spaceport show her disembarking."
"Very well. Captain, take this ship to Naboo at once."
"Yes Sir!"
"Beware Lelia Anjikuro, I am coming for you. I know where you're hiding"
"What is this place?" Lelia asked Roy while looking at the valley lake being filled huge waterfall coming down one end.
"This is our headquarters. There is an entrance to a series of caves behind the waterfall, and at the bottom of the lake is a Gungan village. Legend also holds that this area can actually diffuse a force presence making it difficult for Jedi and Sith to locate you. This area was actually a Jedi base during the Sith Wars."
"Really. This is a great hideout."
"My Lord. Lelia Anjikuro was last spotted heading east of the city with Roy Shinkon, a suspected local rebel. After that we have not received any confirmed sightings."
"Hmm" Darth Vader replied reaching into the Force. "I feel her presence, but it is not distinct. As though she is everywhere yet nowhere. There is only one place they could be that would this sort of disturbance in the Force. Take the ship east. I know where they are hiding."
"Do you hear that?" Lelia asked suddenly, turning to Roy.
"Hear what?"
"A ship engine. Coming our way. No. It can't be. But it is. That's the only thing that could explain this feeling."
"What are you talking about?"
"It's Vader. He's found me. Look take your people and go. It's me they are after. You can get away safely."
"No. I'm not leaving you here alone. My people are already going but I won't leave without you."
"Fine. I won't stop you. Just do me one favor. Get out of the way .No offense but you don't stand a chance against Vader. Heck, I hardly have a chance." Lelia said with a half smile turning to face the menacing black figure walking down the hill towards her.
"So Lelia Anjikuro. We meet again."
"Looks like it Vader. Or should I say Anakin." Lelia replied taking a leap at Vader. Her purple lightsaber meeting his red one in midair.
"How did you know?" Darth Vader asked as her took an downwards slash at her.
Lelia spun away from his attack and sliced at his head while saying, "I didn't know until just now but I've known since you massacred all of the temple personnel. You see you didn't quite succeed. Myself and a group of younglings managed to escape during the confusion." Vader parried her strike easily and returned it. "How could you Anakin? You were the pride of the temple. The younglings adored you! And you murdered them! Why Anakin? WHY!" she screamed at him. "You're a MONSTER!" she cried as her anger and grief consumed her.
Lelia could feel her anger fueling her every move. She began to release a rain of blows on Vader, one after another. He parried them but she continued to speed up as he slowed. She twirled around slashing at every part of his body as he grew wearier. She finally took a final lunge and pierced his heart.
"Why you ask?" Vader wheezed as he stumbled to the ground clutching his chest. "I did it for her. For my Padmé." Vader took one last rasping breath and collapsed.
"You did it!" Roy cried running up to Lelia. "You defeated the Emperor's right hand man!"
"No. No. Get away from me." Lelia said shaking her head and backing away from Roy.
"But, why? Lelia, what's wrong?"
"Don't you see? Me. I'm what wrong. I'm just like him. I can't control my anger and I slipped. I defied everything I believe in. I'M the monster!" she cried. Lelia turned away from Roy and started running.
"Lelia wait! Come back!" Roy called as she disappeared into the forest.