The White Cloak
The sound of blaster fire, the hum of lightsabers, and screams of pain and anguish echoed in the halls of the Jedi Temple. Figures in white wielding blaster rifles launched blue bolts into the Jedi Knights and Padawans who were trying, in vain, to defend themselves. The air smelled of seared flesh and clothing. There seemed to be an endless flow of the white figures. And they were being led by brown cloaked figure. But the figure was not using a blaster to wreak death upon the Jedi, he was using a lightsaber. It was too much to bear. He was just about to cry out when Lannick Sulru woke and bolted upright.
There was sweat running down his face and into his eyes. Lannick wiped his sleeve across his forehead. He looked over at his bedside stand where his lightsaber was lying. He always took comfort in knowing that his weapon was close at hand.
Lannick remembered the how cold it was in the crystal cave where the lightsaber was crafted. He remembered the thrill he felt when he lit the blade and it's incredibly rare silver light shone in the chamber. He remembered his master's proud expression as he examined the weapon. But the images of his dream still haunted him through his pleasant memories.
He then turned to his most powerful memories that he often thought of when he was frightened or anxious. He thought of Jerin Symura. He knew that love was forbidden for Jedi, but he could not keep his thoughts from straying to her. When he conjured her face from the darkness, he immediately felt the horror of his vision lose hold over him.
Jerin. Even her name had a profound affect on him. He whispered it softly into the emptiness of his room. He could not sleep. The thought of another vision made him sick. He put on his cloak and activated the control panel of his door.
He found his way through the corridors to the room of a thousand fountains, his favorite place to meditate when he was on leave from being a General in the Clone Wars. He stopped in the doorway and took in the cool moist air that greeted him. He walked to his favorite spot to meditate and relax. It was a large rock overlooking a small waterfall. The grass felt soft on his bare feet. He found the rock and silently leapt onto it. There was a slight breeze from the waterfall that gently stirred his hair. Oh how he wished that Jerin was there. He pulled his cloak tighter around him as he watched the water curve over the peak of the fall.
Lannick began to stroke his beard, which had become a habit of his after becoming a Jedi Knight. He was still not fully used to being a Knight. It had been such an important goal of his that, now that he had achieved it, he didn't know how to feel.
He tried to keep his mind occupied with the old things that he never really noticed about the room of a thousand fountains. How the grass never browned or dried, how light of the turbolifts created moving patterns on the surface of the lakes. He was paying so much attention to the smallest details that he didn't notice the figure in white approaching from behind.
It was moving as silently as the breeze that rippled across the grass. It came up on Lannicks right side.
"Having trouble sleeping again?" came the soft voice from the figure. Lannick was surprised, but he didn't startle. He was so used to this kind of greeting from her.
"It seems I'm not the only one. What's keeping you up?" Lannick asked.
"I don't really know. I just had an urge to come down here I guess." She said as she skillfully vaulted onto the rock next to Lannick, her distinctive white cloak flowing like the water flowing over the falls. They elapsed into silence for a while. Then Lannick spoke.
"I heard you passed your trials, congratulations."
"Thanks," Jerin smiled modestly. Lan watched a few strands of her hair fall from behind her ear. It was light brown and hung in elongated curls, almost waves. She brushed it out of her blue eyes. Lannick watched her every move. He found beauty in everything she did. They were silent for another couple of minutes.
Lannick's thoughts strayed to the day he met Jerin. They were sparring to gain the notice of Jedi Master's who were passing through the Temple. The match had taken an hour. Every time one of them tried to switch tactics or styles the other moved into a form for the perfect counter. They were both on the verge of collapse when the Master's finally called the match a draw. They had both shown excellent use of the Force in sustaining themselves and predicting the other's intentions.
Jerin's voice brought Lannick back to the present.
"Do you remember when we met?" Sometimes Lannick swore that Jerin was entering his mind, though that was impossible since he was trained to subconsciously resist mind probes.
"I was just thinking about that."
"It took me three day's meditation to recover fully from that match."
"And it took me four." They both laughed quietly.
"I still seem to be able to know what you're thinking." Lannick had noticed that.
"You always have." Lannick couldn't think of anything else to say to that. Jerin seemed to be a little on edge now.
"Is there something bothering you?" He asked. Jerin looked him right in the eye. Lannick looked back into hers.
"Yes," she sighed, "It seems like you can tell what I'm thinking too." She leaned in a little closer to him. "And we were always at our best when we were together." Lannick closed the distance between them, and kissed her.
It couldn't have been more than a few seconds, but it felt like an hour, just like the hour they had spent sparing, all those years ago. And when they parted, Lannick felt as if he could spar for an hour and he wouldn't even break a sweat. It was as if all the darkness in the galaxy was gone because there was only light when he was with her. But he had to whisper the question that was on both of their minds.
"What now?" They didn't disengage from their embrace.
"Well, now we don't have to worry about anything, now we enjoy the rest of the night. We'll worry tomorrow," Jerin said with such wisdom and reassurance that Lannick felt as if that was all it would take to solve everything.
They sank onto the soft grass surrounding the rock and rested their backs against it. Jerin rested her head against Lannick's shoulder, and he took her hands in his.
They rested like this until the light's simulating sunrise began to color the pools. Jerin took a deep breath.
"Now we worry," she said.
"I've thought about it. Tomorrow I'll go to the council and explain my feelings."
"I'll come with you. We have to face this together." Lannick nodded.
"Then we'll go from there." They rested for a few more minutes, and then they rose and embraced once more. They walked to the door leading to the hallway.
"I love you," Jerin whispered into Lannick's ear, and then she glided away, her white cloak flowing behind her.
Lannick went back to his room and put on his tunic and belt. He then went to the Jedi archives. He needed to know if there were any Jedi in history that had known love and had not come to disaster. His search was fruitless and he went to get something to eat. It was as if a year had passed the night before, and he was just becoming aware of his hunger. After his meal, Lannick retired to his quarters to meditate.
It was getting late. The sun shone with a red light through Jerin's window. She was preparing herself to confront the council.
How could they understand?
She stood and walked to her view port. The crimson light glimmered over Coruscant's endless city. Jerin found it disturbingly ominous. There was something growing in the Force. It was like a great struggle between the light and dark sides of the Force.
Something was happening.
They looked like ghosts. Hundreds, marching, closer and closer. They were coming, and at the front of their lines was the dark figure, its hood cast over its face. But there was something about it, it was of the Dark side, but it was not evil. Even in his dream, Lannick was confused. He could not determine what this figure was. It was coming closer. It was torn and broken, even hateful, but not evil. What was it? It was nearly upon him. And then he knew.
It was afraid.
Lannick woke to the sound of a single blaster round. It reverberated through the halls of the Temple, followed by deathly silence. A silence that seemed to last an eternity. But the silence was broken by a sudden burst of new blaster fire and screams of anguish and pain. Then there was the sound of dura-steel doors sliding open and the hum of lightsabers.
Lannick stumbled to the floor, grabbing his lightsaber on the way, and scrambled to the door.
At first he could see nothing, and then a Jedi padawan sprinted around the corner, deflecting a hail of blue blaster fire while he ran. Lannick shouted and ran to the padawan's aid. He was too late. A bolt hit the young girl in the chest and she fell with a light thud.
Lannick skidded to a halt to face the attackers. Then five figures in white came jogging around the corner. They froze for an instant as they saw him, then raised their blaster rifles and opened fire.
Lannick deflected the first bolts into the wall and sent the next round hurtling back toward the shooter. He still couldn't see them clearly. They kept firing. Lannick focused on the group of gunmen. He swung his lightsaber into a more open position and flung his hand forward.
The power of the force push sent the white figures crashing into a wall. They did not get up. Lannick ran to the nearest figure. He could finally see the limp form of a
clone trooper. He stared at the helmet and armor, he couldn't believe it. These were the figures of men who he had commanded, men who he had seen die. And now they were trying to kill him, him and all the Jedi in the Temple.
He walked to the padawan. She was dead.
"Blast." It felt like a dream. Lannick had seen his share of death and more, but seeing a padawan die, only a few meters away from him, in the Temple. It was too much. He turned away. There was more blaster fire coming from the entry foyer. He sprinted down the hall.
He ran through the archway into the foyer. He stopped dead in his tracks. He could see every level of the temple. There were clones everywhere. Screams of pain filled the chamber. It was identical to his dream. Accept this was real.
Then he turned his attention back to the present and ran toward the nearest group of combatants. He sliced the head off the nearest clone and force pushed another three over the railing.
"Where have you been!" shouted the Jedi who had been fighting the clones.
"Just getting some sleep," Lannick called back. "Have you seen Jerin?"
"She's taking the younglings to the council chamber to defend them."
"Thanks!" Lannick yelled and ran down the corridor to the turbolifts. He killed two more clones on his way. The doors were jammed. He forced the doors open with a wave of his hand and jumped in. He hit the button that would take him to the council chambers and the turbolift began to rise.
It seemed agonizingly slow. He looked out up at the temple walls as the turbolift climbed. Gunships were firing missiles into the balconies. There was fire everywhere and smoke filled the sky. And the turbolift was carrying him right toward it.
The lift rocked as a missile collided with Temple's wall a few meters away. The lift continued to rise. It was almost to the top. Then the force warned Lannick of danger. He jumped and grabbed onto the latch on the ceiling of the turbolift. A split second later, the floor of the lift was ripped out from under him as another missile detonated on it. The turbolift lurched upward and then came to a complete halt.
Lannick turned the latch on the ceiling panel and pushed, with his feet, against the clear transparisteel of the lift. He vaulted onto the top of the lift and gazed through the smoke at the council chambers, now only about five meters above him. He gathered the Force and launched himself into the air. He opened the doors with the Force as he soared toward them and rolled through the opening.
Jerin was herding the younglings into the chamber. She closed the doors to the chamber and turned. He ran to her. She threw her arms around him.
"You're alive! Thank the Force!" she whispered, "I was afraid."
"I was too." He kissed her again and then held her at arms length. "Do you think
the clones will try to get up here?"
"It's an easily defendable area, the only entrance is through that door," she indicated the door she had secured a few seconds before, "And the only way up here is by turbolift, and those are all in this room. We will be able to deal with any that come this way."
"I hope you're right." He hugged her again. Then the sound of the turbolifts pneumatic doors jolted them from their reverie. They spun to engage whoever was stepping out of it, lightsabers in hand. The figure wore a jedi robe. They lowered their weapons. The figure walked toward them, its hood obscured its face. Lannick felt relieved.
"The younglings are inside. You can help us defend the area." Lannick broke off as the figure's head rose, showing its face. "Skywalker? What happened to—?" Lannick's feeling of relief was replaced by one of dread. And he activated his lightsaber. Jerin ignited her bright viridian blade simultaneously. The figure of Lannick's nightmares had a face now.
Anakin faced them and activated his own lightsaber. He moved in, slashing at Lannick. He parried the blue lightsaber blade and counter attacked, aiming a shot at Anakin's leg. He parried with his blade and caught Jerin's wrist with his mechanical hand. Then he twisted and kicked Lannick in the chin and pulled Jerin's wrist down as he jumped over her. As he landed behind her he brought his lightsaber up to her throat. Lannick looked up. It happened too fast. He looked into Jerin's eyes as Anakin pulled his sword across her neck. She fell, limp at Anakin's side. Lannick did not budge. He was stunned. He couldn't believe what had just happened.
Then a howl composed of Lannick's shock, horror, and grief tore from his chest. He jumped straight at Anakin, but the dark jedi caught him in the air with the Force and pushed him into a wall. Lannick collapsed. He lay there, sobbing. He had lost the will to live. Anakin walked over to his prone form and raised his lightsaber. Death would be welcome for Lannick, but then he remembered the look in Jerin's eyes before she died. Lannick, as always, could tell exactly what she was thinking.
He had seen how much she had loved him, and he knew what she had wanted for him. He brought his blade up and blocked the blue one that was bearing down on him. He pushed against it, throwing Anakin back. He stood, slowly, never taking his eyes off his opponent. They engaged again.
Lannick's face remained perfectly clear as he fought. He swung his lightsaber in a never ending twirl. The two of them were fighting closer, and closer to the open door that Lannick had forced open. Lannick's foot passed over the edge. He was able to regain his balance, but he faltered. This was all Anakin needed. The dark jedi flipped Lannick's silver blade up and he spun, thrusting his blade into the other jedi's abdomen.
Lannick gasped, his vision blurred and he fell backwards, into the open air, miles above Coruscant's surface.
As he fell Lannick saw Jerin. She was standing in front of him; they were in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, by Lannick's favorite rock. She walked to him and kissed him. He took her hands in his. But then they were moving apart. Lannick tried to hold her closer, but she took a step backwards. He looked at her. She had tears in her eyes. Lannick could hear air rushing past his ears. Jerin kissed Lannick on the cheek. They moved farther apart. Lannick could feel his tunic snapping in the air. They were stretching to the tips of their fingers.
"I love you," he said. Lannick felt his arms and legs float in freefall.
"I love you too," said Jerin, and his hand slipped out of hers. His eyes opened and he squinted in the light. There was terrible pain in his side. He looked around. He could no longer see the Council Chambers. The walls of the Jedi Temple were flying by, a few meters away from him. He used the Force to slow his fall slightly and pivot in the air. There was a gunship flying many feet below him. He directed his fall toward the ship. The ship began to descend. He fell down beside it and pulled himself onto the deck. There were two clones holding onto handholds in the ceiling. Lannick's lightsaber had been lost in the fall, but he used the force to push the two troopers out of the ship. Lannick pulled one of the trooper's blasters out of back toward him. He fired into the cockpit, killing the pilot. Then he fired on the two turrets on the sides of the ship, killing the troopers inside. The gunship went into a dive toward the buildings below. The crippled ship spun toward an apartment. Lannick dropped the rifle and jumped onto the roof of the building as the gunship crashed and slid across the roof.
He landed hard, and crumpled onto the roof of the building. His breathing was irregular with pain, both in his body and in his heart. Finally he stood and looked back toward the Temple. It was dark now, and the fires all over the once great building illuminated the sky. Lannick clutched his side and sank to his knees.
"You're a jedi, aren't you?" a voice came from behind him. Lannick spun around. An elderly woman stood a few feet away. Lannick looked back to the Temple, then again at the old woman.
"No. Not anymore."
The woman nodded. "Come with me. That wound needs tending and you'll need a place to stay for a while."
"I can't stay for long."
The woman nodded again. "Where will you go?" she asked. Lannick did not answer, and the woman did not press him. Then he rose and the woman led him to her apartment.
Lannick looked back, one last time and froze. A white cloak was floating down to the roof. He went over to where it landed and picked it up. He held it to his breast. Then he turned and followed the woman, the white cloak still in his arms.