AS DARK AS DESTINY
BOOK ONE: ANGEL IN THE SHADOWS
CHAPTER 1: EXPECTING THE UNEXPECTED
The afternoon Sun shined brightly in the skies of Coruscant. It formed an angelic halo on the elegant-looking skyscrapers, brought a stunning glimmer on the jewelries of the diplomats that were walking gracefully in the streets and penetrated through the glass windows of a flower store. The Sun's rays shined on the face of a florist who was looking at the windows. Using her lucid reflection, she combed her lovely hair that fell like waves on her waist while feeling the silkiness of her hair strands which were trapped and twisted between her fingers. Her dark hair was always messy and uncombed as she was never bothered about her looks, not that she was a pretty anyway. She only did so in the presence of customers.
Her flower shop, Lovely and Sweet, was occupied with a variety of flowers, from the pleasant Rominaria flowers of Naboo, where they smell of powdered babies to the beautiful Wadlas in which their petals take the form of blue stars that covered the sunshine-lit fields. Every time customers stay longer in her shop, they would inhale an air of sweetness and exhale happiness and relief, until it was hard for them to leave. Lovely and Sweet was known for its cleanliness as the florist's increasing number of customers motivates her to always maintain the shop's condition...
So why was this florist sitting by the window for hours? Surely you'd think she was wasting her time, sitting there like a lazy bone and behaving like a princess waiting for her prince. Well, the truth was she had done her all from cleaning to arranging the flowers. Sadly, this princess was waiting for her princes, which were her customers who would rescue her from boredom. Yes, all her life working in Coruscant, she never had such a successful business. things get even worse when a mysterious man came into her shop and behaved quite queer. Not only did it frighten the florist but her customers as well. From that day on, Lovely and Sweet became vacant of customers, if not, only a few would come but could not stay for long. Her shop assistants decided to abandon the poor florist when the business gets slow and she was left alone to deal with those problems.
The florist continued to stare at the window with boredom that only lasted until she spotted a moving figure. However, this figure seemed to be nearing her shop. Finally, she thought, a customer! The excited florist hurriedly straightened the folds on her kimono-like vest and adjusted her belt. Then she quickly looked at the window while the figure drew nearer to the shop. Near enough to take a silhouette of a tall woman with auburn hair that danced like flames in the wind. The next minute, the doorbell rang and the woman who walked through the door was not a customer, she was-
"Mahrleen, good afternoon, my dear friend," the florist greeted her in an immediate bored tone.
"Hello, Kyra," Mahrleen greeted with cheers. Her wide and warm smile usually lightened those around her but not today...it seems that Kyra, the florist, could not feel the light. Mahrleen Ko'San is Kyra Nightsong's best friend, or perhaps, her only friend. They first met when Kyra just moved to Coruscant from Nuraaki, which was a planet where the Sun shines nearly every day and the people there were warm and friendly. However in Coruscant, there were different people and different cultures and ideologies. The weather was not always the same because it was always controlled by the meteorologists. Therefore, she had a hard time experiencing a sudden culture shock as well as her shy personality, which made the problem worse. She had difficulty starting a new business, as well as finding employees and making friends. This was when Mahrleen came in but she first appeared to her as a customer. She was originally a rich fashion designer from Naboo who went poor due to misfortune. Her husband and children died due to an accident and was left to fend for herself. The problem became worse when her father fell ill so, she bought some flowers from Kyra for him. Fortunately, the scent of the flowers gave him the strength to recover as well as the hope to live. It was a miracle for him to still live, Mahrleen once told her. As a result, she decided to help Kyra and she would help that kind heart of Mahrleen's in return. With Mahrleen's warm and cheerful demeanor, it was no doubt they were able to become friends quickly.
As soon as she examined Kyra's face, Mahrleen's cheerful smile faded into a frown while her grey-blue eyes widened with worry.
"Kyra," she whispered "What's the matter?" Kyra hesitated for a while.
"Nothing," she lied, looking away from her to shield away her depressed expressions.
"Are you sure? You don't have that same light when you greeted me as usual. It's like the halo that I always see embracing you suddenly fades away. It is seen in your body, your face and your eyes...Kyra, you are feeling unhappy. Please tell me, what's wrong? I thought we were friends!" Her words made Kyra hesitate even more. Finally, she found her words and decided to reply.
"We ARE friends and we will always be," she replied. "but you know me better by now than you should have, Mahrleen." Kyra got up and walked around the shop aimlessly. "It hurts me to see you hurt. Look around and find the answer. Don't you see nobody's here anymore. Lovely and Sweet has lost her identity and fire. I am nothing more but a pathetic florist!"
"And you're still complaining about this?" Mahrleen asked, quickly turning to her. Her soft eyes hardened as she sharpened her gaze on Kyra. "I thought you were always a patient person?" Kyra was indeed patient but when your business runs slow for a long period, there's probably no reason to become impatient.
"Wail all you want but you'll only be drowning in sorrow and doubt unless you try hard and find a solution to your problems." She continued.
"I wish I could but...b-but...," She paused for a moment and screamed, "what HAVE I done wrong? Nothing IS the answer. HE was the problem anyway!" She stopped in front of the counter and bellowed without facing her. Tears were forming in her eyes as she couldn't take it anymore...
"I know how you feel but we can't just blame the blunder on others." Mahrleen said in an annoyed voice. Really, she can't help but feel irritated over her over-emotional personality. At the same time, she also can't help the fact how much of a nice kind friend Kyra can be.
" Then what am I supposed to do?" Kyra walked towards Mahrleeen with her fists clenched beside her.
"You need to justify your mistakes and improvise your strengths. You need to convince as much people that you're innocent and what HE did was a hoax. I know some people don't believe him or they wouldn't come here to get your lovely flowers of yours. You need some time, Kyra. Only patience can rid of your problems." There was a long silence between both of them. Kyra looked down on the floor thinking about her advice and looked at Mahrleen again, who shot a smile at her. Somehow, when she saw her face, it was as if the flames of confidence were reigniting. Mahrleen was the engine of hope, the savior angel and this made Kyra smile for the first time.
"Is this why you're here in the first place?" She looked at Mahrleen. Kyra's voice was softer now, louder than a whisper. Then, she quickly hugged Mahrleen while she just rolled her eyes in exchange, thinking how much of a Drama Queen Kyra is sometimes. "Oh, Mahrleen, you are so wise. How can I ever have a friend like you?" She refused to relinquish her embrace.
"A friend in need is a friend indeed. I'll always be there for you."
"I believe you'd make a great Jedi Knight or a Jedi Master. What with your strong wisdom and faith and your ability to" At these words, Mahrleen blushed while Kyra released her embrace.
"I can't be one of them. It's impossible to sign up for Jedi Training now and I'm not a Force-sensitive. After all, everybody can be as good as a Jedi or as evil as a Sith Lord. We all learn from the best." Then she gently held Kyra's wrists while they slowly reached her palms so that their fingers were aligned together like their mark of friendship. It gave her hope, this advice from her friend. They stood silent for a while and then looked at each other in the eyes, from Mahrleen's friendly blue eyes to Kyra's soft aqua-green eyes. Finally Kyra lowered her palms, followed by Mahrleen.
"The best," Kyra repeated and suddenly looked down. "Sometimes, I wish I was a Jedi. I didn't have to live like this. To suffer from poverty, or rely on flowers for a living. I would save billions of lives and reclaim honour."
"And do you really want to live like them?" Mahrleen laughed. "You need to count your lucky stars. Be grateful that you didn't have to venture through dark worlds to bring peace or, perhaps, jump from a cliff to protect this Galaxy from the Sith-"
Something caught Mahrleen's attention suddenly. She hurriedly looked at the window and found a man donned in a hooded cloak with shades of grey standing right outside Lovely and Sweet. He looked at her with his cold, black eyes. Mahrleen was wondering why somebody would wear such a thing under the burning-hot Sun.
"What's going on?" Kyra asked while doing the same thing. The man swiveled his eyes to her and glared, which made his appearance more frightening than ever. Then he pointed his finger at her as if he was saying, "You better watch out!"
"It's HIM!" Kyra breathed. "That weirdo who'd put a hoax on me." Before she could do or say anything, he was gone in a blink of an eye. Mahrleen, on the other hand, became spellbound and not wanting to believe what had just happened.
"WHAT?! He was there a few seconds ago." Kyra no longer paid attention to her anymore.
"He's a Force-sensitive!" Kyra gasped.
"You mean he's a Sith Lord? Kyra, they're dead alrea-"
"No, of course he's not!" she turned to Mahrleen. "And not in my right mind would I think THEY'RE dead."
"What makes you think,so?" Mahrleen asked, calmly.
"I guess you don't know about them. Surely he's a Force-sensitive but not all of them can be a either Sith or Jedi. Furthermore, the Sith don't just appear to random people or they might have endangered themselves. The Sith are as silent as a grave meaning they hide patiently under their sepulchers of evil while plotting menace and catastrophe to the Galaxy. They can't disappear in an instant. The Sith wouldn't give up-" At her own words, something strange happened to her. Kyra suddenly felt an icy-cold sensation just like how a gust of wind blowed her really hard, except the fact that all the windows in the store were closed. This was a strange moment indeed...
"I hear footsteps," Mahrleen's face turned deathly-white. "He is coming..."
Kyra gulped.
They stood beside each other. Two innocent women whom knew not how to fight nor defend, had to brace the danger that they were about to face while they felt the cold hands of Fear gripping their backs. They looked at each other in the eyes, Kyra's green-turned yellow into Mahrleen's blue while Kyra nodded. Then they held their hands and face the door. Their hearts were pounding inside their chests. Cold sweat ran down from Mahrleen's temples while Kyra was breathing faster than ever. The mechanical door opened upwards and Kyra counted silently the upcoming terror...one...two...three...
Kyra gripped Mahrleen's hand as tight as a tourniquet as a man came in...But he wasn't HIM. Instead, this man was a Nautolan, who donned a rather smart attire. He had a friendly face when he smiled. The next minute, another person came in, a Mon Calamari, also dressed similar to the Nautolan, stood beside him. They sighed in relief at the sight of these two customers. Kyra suddenly felt happy and quickly wiped away her tears.
"Good afternoon, sirs. Do you need some assistance?" Kyra smiled broadly.
"Yes, I need some of those red flowers on that topmost row." The Nautolan pointed his thin green finger at the Brauxes on the right shelf. Kyra smiled.
"I'll get them right away." Then she rushed to the store room while the Nautolan approached the counter slowly. A few minutes later, she brought a ladder with her and put it on the right shelf then climbed it. Mahrleen, then walked towards a table but her mouth and torso was swiftly grabbed by strong, slimy hands of the Mon Calamari, preventing her from screaming and ushered into a nearby closet. The Nautolan, quickly but silently, opened the cashier and took some credits. He managed to take all of them before she came down and said, "Here they are-" Noticing the stolen credits on his hand, Kyra screamed, "THEIF!" He took out his blaster pointed it at her.
"FREEZE!" He shot but nearly missed Kyra in an inch."DON'T MOVE A MUSCLE!" Frightened, Kyra screamed a terrible scream. Unfortunately, the Nautolan shot a very close fire near her.
"SHUT UP OR I'LL KILL YOU!" he warned and continued to search the drawers. Kyra felt hopeless and scared that all she could do was wept beside the corner in fear. Oh no, what should I do now? I don't know what to do! I'm so scared I'll die if I take the wrong step...questions and conflicts were swimming in her stressed mind. What do you think you're doing, crying like a pathetic fool, a second voice suddenly spoke to Kyra in her head. Do something or you might as well get Mahrleen and yourself killed!At the sudden thought of Mahrleen, Kyra obeyed the commands of the mysterious voice as her eyes searched around for things that may be helpful in this dire situation. No, I won't let them hurt you, Mahrleen, Kyra vowed in her mind. She checked the things that were nearby first, the broomstick was far away from her, so is the mop. However, what caught her attention was a flower pot that was directly above him. It would be a very useful weapon if it were to fall on his head...if only she could reach it...
Before Kyra could give up hope, the flower pot fell from the top of the shelf and hit the Naulotan's head before he even noticed. It was like the flower pot fell just as she commanded, without such effort. PLUNK! The flower pot cracked and he hit the floor, unconscious. She walked slowly towards him, fearing that he would awaken any moment but it did not happen. She took the credits back from his hands and pockets, as well as his blaster. Kyra looked around to find Mahrleen but she was not in there in the shop. Where could she be?
The store room door burst open and Mahrleen screamed like a crazy banshee.
"GET OUTTA HERE!" Behind her back was the Mon Calamari. He was probably in the same league with that Naulotan. He was carrying a knife and swinging it at Mahrleen, who ran as fast as she could. She must have been lucky to live at this point. Kyra hit him with only a broomstick on the calf which caused him to trip.
"LEAVE HER ALONE, YOU MONSTER!" Then she hit him one more time and continued to do so which formed bruises and scars on the orange-pink skin of the Mon Calamari. He was screaming in agony as she attacked him with such rage and anger that you could not imagine...unless all this frenzy belonged to a Sith Lord!
"KYRA, STOP! PLEASE JUST STOP THIS MADNESS!" Mahrleen screamed at the top of her lungs. At her instructions, Kyra stopped immediately.
"HE HURT YOU!" she roared. " HE DESERVES THIS!"
"I know, Kyra. Thank you for helping me but it doesn't when you behave like this! What you just did was unforgivable." Mahrleen looked at her in horror. "Look upon your wrongdoings and seek forgiveness." Kyra looked at the fatally injured Mon Calamari who lay on the floor. Dark blue blood was oozing from his mouth and wounds. Tears were forming in her eyes now. She turned back to Mahrleen and apologised, "Mahrleen, I'm sorry, I truly am sorry."
"It's not me you have to apologise to." They looked back at him.
"He's not dead, is he?" Kyra asked in a voice that was barely louder than a whisper.
"His diaphragm is moving, no." She approached Kyra and gripped her hands. "Listen Kyra, this is not the Kyra that I knew before. You used to and will always be the kind, sweet and gentle Kyra that I knew. Your hands are too innocent for violence." She slowly relinquished Kyra's hands. The Nautolan revived from his unconsciousness and charged at her.
"Behind you!" Mahrleen gasped. Kyra turned around and dodged the thief's vibroblade and rolled on the floor to quickly get her metal broomstick. On the other hand, Mahrleen quickly ran to Kyra's comlink on her counter and called the Coruscant Security Force.
"MAHRLEEN! QUICK!" Mahrleen dashed towards the store room while he tried to pounce at her. Fortunately, Kyra managed to intercept him by striking a blow on one of his knees which made him fall. "Don't worry, I'll hold him off." She glared at him like an angry snake that was about to strike its prey. As soon as the thief got to his feet, he slashed his vibroblade at her a few times but she managed to evade them all but failed as a long cut formed on her left arm when he strike his final blow. Kyra quickly clasped her arm and screamed in pain and this gave the Nautolan a chance to kick her on the torso. She flew backwards and her back hit against the hard wall. She recovered quickly from the blow but was unfortunately cornered by her enemy. The only way to escape was to fight back even though she had no training in unarmed combat. Kyra threw weak and soft punches at her opponent. They were so pathetic that they could not harm the Nautolan but he still evaded them just to mock her. He managed to grab her arm and twist it, causing her to fall onto the hard floor and scream in pain the second time. With all her effort, she kicked him hard on the stomach and was finally free from his grasp but not so soon...he tried to stab her from upwards. Luckily, Kyra managed to evade him by an inch by rolling sideways. As fast as possible, she got to her feet and ran towards the power source when suddenly a heavy mass hit her hard on the face. Damn, she fell again! It was the fault of the Mon Calamari who woke up from his unconsciousness.
"Not so tough now are yeh?" he said, smiling his thick mouth, where blue blood was stained. Strong hands grabbed Kyra's shoulders followed by muscular arms that grasped her body like a python constricting its prey. She looked sideways to find a face of the Nautolan who was grinning wickedly at her. He walked slowly to her.
"And you'd thought that we ain't gonna hit women. Wrong!" He punched her hard on the face. Her lips were bleeding now and she spat the blood on his face. "MONSTER!" she screamed.
"Really?" he asked in a mocking voice. "I thought you were the MONSTER!" Now his face turned uglier as his fish-like features twisted with anger.
"This is for beating me up!" Then he hit her stomach.
"HEY!" A loud high-pitched voice suddenly erupted from nowhere. All three heads turned to face the source of the voice which came from Mahrleen Ko'San herself. "You're really pathetic, having to tackle a lady." Her eyes narrowed.
"Let her go!" She shouted at them but that made them laugh thinking what a pathetic woman with no weapons can do to them but a rope in her hands, if they could manage one easily.
"Or what?" asked the Nautolan. "Tie us with that thing?" He looked at the rope.
"Yes - I mean, n-no! I-I'll-"
"It's okay, we can take it from here!" shouted a man wearing armour that greatly resembles a Clone Trooper except, he wasn't a Clone Trooper. With armour the colour of nightingale-blue, and white stripes, the Coruscant Security Force, or mainly, the Police has finally came to their aid. Kyra and Mahrleen were finally rescued.
"Put your hands up or you're in trouble!" one of the Police ordered. Kyra and Mahrleen did what they were told however, the thieves refused and made a run for it.
"Get them, OPEN FIRE!" They aimed their blasters at the criminals and fired.
"Get outta here and don't come in until we told ya to." Kyra and Mahrleen hurriedly walked out of the shop. One of the Police approached Kyra and asked,"Are you alright?"
She only nodded.
"You don't look good."
"I'm fine." That was her final word. In a few minutes, the heavy white smoke fumed out of the mechanical door as it opened and revealed the shadow of a Nautolan and Mon Calamari who were being dragged by the Coruscant Security Force. The Nautolan looked defeated while the Mon Calamari struggled to escape but was thwarted by the strong hold of the Police as well as the state-of-the-art handcuffs.
"We'll be back before you know it!" the Mon Calamari shouted without remorse.
"And you'll be staying in prison longer than you know it," said the Police holding him. "All too easy!" He quickly shoved him into the criminal shuttle.
"Thank you so much for saving us." Mahrleen thanked them as they were about to leave. The Policeman who was about to get inside the shuttle stopped and said," No, thank you for helping us buy some time. You two were really the brave, handling those criminals."
"Oh, no! It was Kyra who did all that fighting." She pointed at her and smiled broadly. He turned to Kyra now.
"You know, we really appreciate it but, you could have killed yourself by doing this." He told her in a sour voice. "Next time, call us earlier and don't play the hero. You could have run away from them. Lucky you two didn't get youself killed." Then he hopped inside the shuttle without another word.
"I was only trying to save myself..."Kyra mumbled through her lips as the Police's shuttle departed. Exhausted, Kyra sat down on the pavement and thought of what happened earlier during the day. The only images that played in her head were the images of queer events so vague that they were hard to forget. The mysterious man... the voice in her head...the sudden rage...was she really a hero or was she just a damsel-in-distress trying to protect herself, and her friend.
"That was crazy," said Mahrleen as she joined her friend to sit beside her. 'You can't belive how scared I was."
"How scared were you? Insanely scared? Super duper scared? I-am-going-to-die-soon scared? Choose one."
"Maybe a bit of insanely scared, some of super-duper scared and mostly I-am-going-to-die-soon scared."
"I told you to choose one!" said Kyra, annoyed and gave her a soft push on her flank.
"I was never confident with my answers." She said, honestly.
"I never thought that you would be scared for a person so strong. By the way, how did you manage to escape them?"
"Well, firstly, one of the thieves grabbed me as I was going to the table. I struggled crazily against his grip and got loose but he managed to grab me again. Then he pinned me to the floor and stuffed some cloth in my mouth so I wouldn't be screaming away. I thought he was going to kill me at first but he only searched my pockets and stole my purse. He was going to kill me now and I struggled even harder. However, it didn't work well as his grip was grasp was getting stronger the harder I struggle. I became too tired to fight against his grasp and decided to stop. My senses came to realise that this room has stored a lot of useful things. I was not good at quick thinking but I was quick enough to spot an air freshener spray nearby. So I wormed myself out but he tried to stop me and soon saw it coming. Wait a minute, this could also be a good idea to distract him, I thought. Fortunately, I managed to escape his clutches."
"He didn't sound like such an intelligent person. I mean, real criminals would kill you first then steal your possessions."
"I know, right?" Mahrleen agreed.
"Did you get your purse back?' Kyra asked, interested.
"Oh yes, I did. As soon as I escaped, I took the air freshener spray in a blink of an eye and sprayed his face. This gave me the chance to reclaim what was mine! My purse, I took it from him as he howled in pain. Then I quickly made a run for it."
"That was a great story."
"It was a frightening but a great experience. What of yours?" And so she explained her story to Mahrleen, about how scared she was...about how her theft was about to kill her...about how the vase dropped on his head.
"Wow! Your story was interesting but unrealistic when the vase fell on his head at the very right moment. It sounded like something from a holocartoon." She was right, Kyra's story was too un believable to be true.
"It was like something that I wanted to happen HAPPENED, just like THAT! Only a Force-sensitive can have that kind of ability and I doubt that I would ever be one."
"What makes you think so?" asked Mahrleen in disbelief.
"Mahrleen, I am not the heroic or the brave type. I am just an ordinary person who does ordinary things for a living."
"But, Kyra, you saved my life, didn't you?" she pat Kyra's shoulder.
"Only because you were in trouble. I can't let you get hurt. You are the best friend I ever had. A friend in need is a friend indeed." Mahrleen smiled at her touching words. After a long day of traumatizing events, this time it was Kyra's turn to cheer her best friend up.
"Aww… thank you, Kyra. That's so sweet of you."
"Do you think what happened earlier, was actually the Omen?" Kyra decided to change the topic. Mahrleen, on the other hand, did not look serious. Her cheery and warm demeanor was still radiating from her face.
"If it is, I hope that was it and nothing else."
" If not, then what is?"
"The War, perhaps," Mahrleen replied. Kyra looked slightly puzzled.
"The Clone Wars, you mean? But why?" She asked.
"I hear tell that it is coming to an end." Kyra scratched her head with confusion and gaped her mouth open. She still had no clue what this robbery has anything to do with the war.
"And this means-?"
"This means," Mahrleen answered. "That the crime rates are increasing. Let us put it this way, when there's war the crime rates increase because there is no exact control for criminals because soldiers and the Police are busy fighting the enemies. People are usually scared as the criminals are on the loose, having too much freedom. Since, the criminals knew that the war will be finishing soon so they commit as many crimes as possible before things go back into place. How do they know? Criminal organizations are always up to date about the latest information."
"Are you referring to Black Sun so that they would plot nefarious plans as well as to avoid being captured." Kyra nodded as she understood.
"Yes, and many more...,"said Mahrleen.
"You're telling me that because of this sudden robbery, the Clone Wars is coming to an end? Finally! It's been such a relief." She jumped in excitement from her hard paved seat and sighed in relief.
"I know. A relief!" Mahrleen repeated. "so let's just be optimistic and plant good thoughts in our head hoping that this was just a Good Omen rather than a bad one-"
"Like anything could happen after this!" Kyra joked.
"Kyra," Mahrleen gasped and put her soft hands on her mouth. "Don't you say things like that!"
"Only a laugh, Mahrleen. Oh, and you shouldn't be worrying too much as well." Kyra laughed another time and looked at the sky again. This time, the strong rays of the sun has reduced its intensity, making the sky look like a brilliant combination of gold and blue that danced in contra, with the help of the sun that shines through the clouds. Time flies faster in Coruscant compared to other planets. Before you realized afternoon decides to flee, evening already came into control, which was what happening now and telling Kyra that she's been out for long.
"Mahrleen," Kyra called her.
"Yes, Kyra?" she answered.
"It's getting late. I need to make a police report and clean Lovely and Sweet." Mahrleen frowned.
"Now? Aren't you feeling tired?"
"I wish I could sit here longer but things won't get better if I do so. I have a lot to do." Before she could open her mouth and said "Goodbye", Mahrleen suddenly discovered an optimistic idea.
"How about you make a police report while I'll help you clean your shop. Now wouldn't that sound better?" The idea made Kyra half-satisfied yet half-worried.
"Then what of you? Wouldn't you be just as tired as me?" she asked in a worrying tone. Staying in a positive manner, Mahrleen only laughed and replied, "Why are you the one worrying too much now? I'll be fine, Kyra. I'm sure I can get help from a few folks around."
"Thank you so much, Mahrleen. You've been really a great person. "Looking at the sky again, she said "Oh, I have to go now before dusk takes over."
"Well, bye. See you later."
It would never be like this, she thought. Things had been different now that not only did she suffer but many others in Coruscant did. The Coruscant Police Station was packed with people and those in duty were rushing here and there, carrying more than one datapads. Their faces were painted in expressions of anxiety and stress as she could see sweat running down from their temples. Not only did she have to wait for a long time but the Policemen in charge did not do their work properly, perhaps it has to deal with a great many number of cases. Kyra did submit her report but the process wasn't executed well. Feeling unsatisfied to cope with it, she returned to her shop-home feeling exhausted. It was nearly late evening when she returned.
Kyra walked back with her back slouched while a hand rested on her shoulder. She was panting deeply so she decided to sit on a nearby bench and rest for a couple of minutes. Then, she continued walking a few meters and realized that she was close by when she saw large Gaobhan trees with colourful leaves that grow vertically instead horizontally. Since night was falling, the leaves of the trees illuminated as if an aurora borealis was radiating it. Beside it was her favorite bakery shop, 'Baked With Love!'. When she passed by the shop, she could smell the scent of newly baked pastries and cakes, indulge in the smell of Oka cinnamon, Tapani Strawberries and Tattooine dates, in which they blend together to create a perfect combination. Unfortunately for her, the shop was closed at this time. Finally, next to it was the cute facade of Lovely and Sweet which hasn't been harmed from the outside. In front of it was a shape of a humanoid walking slowly towards it as if it was suffering from fatigue...Wait! She thought and for a moment, she worried if this was another trap. However, Kyra was desperate to come back to the warm arms of her home, so she walked very slowly and carefully. As soon as she reached the shop, the figure collapsed helplessly just in front of the entrance. She felt that this was no longer a trap and hurried to the figure.
"Hey?" she called from nearby. The figure was a human boy who looked looked no younger than 14 years of age. He could only look at her with his exhausted blue eyes. Kyra noticed that there were wounds on his skin and robes but they weren't any ordinary wounds...they were blaster wounds! What caught her attention was that he was wearing robes that only a Jedi could wear. It was a dream, she thought to carry a Jedi youngling in her arms. She suddenly heard the sound of a shooting blaster from nearby and quickly dragged him and took him into a chamber large enough to be both the living and dining area. In fact, the living area was located just beside a staircase. A holoprojector rested on a large rectangular table and faced opposite a rather old but nevertheless comfortable sofa. Beside it was already the dining area with the square dining table located slightly further from the sofa while the kitchen was right next to it. She rested him on the sofa.
"MAHRLEEN!" she called following with the thumping of footsteps from above.
"YES?" Mahrleen replied.
"I NEED YOUR HELP! I JUST FOUND AN INJURED JEDI!"
"A JEDI?!" she sounded both puzzled and surprised.
"NEVER YOU MIND! COME DOWNSTAIRS RIGHT NOW AND BRING ME A PAIL OF WATER AND A FIRST AID KIT! HURRY! I HEARD A BLASTERSHOT JUST NOW!" Without wasting anymore time, Kyra rushed to the shop area and quickly grabbed some flowers and returned to the living area to find Mahrleen who just arrived in time. Water was dripping on the floor from the pail that she was carrying with her right hand while a medical kit rested on her chest. Kyra undressed the Jedi boy's robes while Mahrleen took of his boots and rolled his pants upwards until it reached just above his knees.
"Mahrleen, please keep him still. I'm going to treat his torso first," ordered Kyra. Mahrleen nodded and pinned his a arms to the sofa while Kyra soaked a clean cloth. Her hands were trembling as she didn't know how to treat people like medics but there wasn't any other choice. The young Jedi was in pain. She took a deep breath and used her instincts to guide her. She dabbed the wet cloth on his burnt wounds and he moaned in pain as the water triggered his nerves.
"Please take a deep breath," Kyra told the young Jedi. "I thought you were a Jedi. You're supposed to be strong." When the burnt blood was cleaned, she wiped his wounds dry.
"Mahrleen, the antiseptic." Kyra then applied it on that particular spot as he wailed again. She plucked the purple petals of an Agori flower and sprinkled them on his wound. The moment his scar touched the petals, his pain was gone in an instant and the Jedi sighed. Finally, she covered the wound with a bacta bandage. The miracles that bacta patches and Agori petals can do, she thought. Kyra then applied the same procedure elsewhere and also taking turns with Mahrleen. When they finished, he thanked them, weakly.
"You're welcome, dear," Kyra replied with a smile. "If you need our help, we'll be right here. By the way, I am Kyra Nightsong and she..." she pointed at the other woman with flaming red hair. "...is Mahrleen Ko'San."
"It's nice to meet you two. My name is Byron Lysander." he replied.
"Byron?" Mahrleen sounded interested. "What a beautiful name."
"I hope we're not disturbing you," Kyra suddenly felt uncomfortable.
"Oh, no! Never, just a little tired but I'm a Jedi...so what the heck?"
"Alright, so can I get you anything?"
"Thanks. That'll be really nice."Kyra went to the kitchen counter and prepared soup while Mahrleen continued to talk him.
"Can I ask you something, i-if you don't mind answering," she asked.
"Yes. Go ahead."
"What happened to you? Where you attacked by those terrible criminals?"
"No. They were Clone Troopers." Mahrleen was shocked and couldn't believe what she just heard while Kyra nearly dropped a bowl.
"Excuse me? CLONE TROOPERS?! I thought they were your allies?"
"They used to be our allies...until they betrayed us in the Jedi Temple. I was training with my master there when suddenly I saw Anakin Skywalker and the Clone Troopers behind him. I was wondering what this was all about and why the heck was Master Skywalker looking so damn angry and serious. Then he ignited his lightsaber and the rest of the Clone Troopers started to shoot at the Jedi. My master told me to leave this place quickly but I can't do that 'cause he's like my father, my dad that I never had. I didn't just run but I managed to see him put up a good fight with Skywalker. They were talking a lot during the fight but what caught my attention was that Anakin Skywalker said, 'DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF THE DARK SIDE!' and then h-h-h-he- he-he..." Rolf started to hesitate in pain. "He stabbed Master Ignatius!" A tear dropped on his cheek.
"I just listened to his last words to me and ran as fast as possible. The Clone Troopers even chased me but I can't fight back, because he told me not to. That was when I came here, I ran until they can't find me anymore and until my legs became numb." Then Kyra brought a tray with a bowl of soup and a glass of warm water.
"I hope you wouldn't mind having tokhto soup. It's all I have right now."
"It's okay. Thank you." Byron started to have a few scoops of his soup and switched on the holovision. Immediately it showed the Coruscant Bulletin in which a reporter was in the middle of saying"...cheers of joy erupted everywhere in the Galaxy moments after citizens were informed that the Clone Wars has finally come to an end-"
"What?" Mahrleen couldn't believe what she just heard. "Is the war really over?"
"N-NO!" Byron moaned.
"Hush! You two." Kyra hissed at them. They silenced immediately.
"However, it's not just the Clone Wars that was taken to account. Thanks to Chancellor Palpatine, who declared that this war is officially over in his New Order which was just declared today in the Galactic Senate."
"I didn't expect this to happen. What's all this about?" Somehow the answer appeared to Kyra instantly.
"One of the key points of the Declaration of The New Order is of the Clone Wars is officially brought to an end. Next, Chancellor Palpatine will now rule as Galactic Emperor, a sovereign and supreme ruler will stand against the long corruption that many Senators have faced in the Galactic Republic. This includes the Galactic Republic will be reorganised into the first Galactic Empire, and so does the Galactic Senate, which will be dubbed as the Imperial Senate. Lastly, the Jedi Order is declared the enemies of the state."
There was a long silence.
"Yes, we were all shocked to hear the truth about our fellow 'Peacekeepers' when the Chancellor or he is known now as the Emperor, reveals about it in his declaration. According to him, the Jedi have been controlling the Clone Wars all along when, Count Dooku, a member of the Jedi Council and also a famous Jedi Master became one of the leaders of the Separatists. They had hoped this was a way to destroy the corruption in the Republic, to destroy the the Republic itself! The Jedi Council also tried to assassinate the Emperor himself and also take control of the Clone Army. With the help of Ops Knightfall, our Clone Trooper heroes managed to get rid of the traitorous Jedi until their numbers greatly reduced.
"His Royal Highness also advises his loyal subjects to do their part in constructing this new Empire of peace, sovereignty and justice for many years to come. He wants us to help find any remaining Jedi and then surrender them to the Imperial Forces. Those who do so will he rewarded and honoured-" Kyra quickly switched off the holovision and looked at Phoenix. Mahrleen only looked at the wall in disbelief and shock.
"This is terrible...," Kyra cried. "I can't believe Palpatine actually did IT! I can't trust him anymore." Just before Mahrleen was about to say something, there was a beeping sound coming from inside Phoenix's pockets.
"A message from another Jedi," he said. Kyra raised an eyebrow.
"I wouldn't think of answering it. What if it's a trap?"
"Don't worry, these mini holoprojectors have a special code encrypted inside that only Jedi could access." Byron assured and activated it. Blue light flashed from the base of the holoprojector and at first the hologram appeared blur and the sound emitted from the speaker was static until it recovered and took the form of a light-blue bearded man.
"Master Kenobi?" Byron gasped and then sighed in relief. He guessed he wasn't the only surviving Jedi.
"I have just received a terrible new. Emperor Palpatine is the Sith Lord that we've all been looking for." All three gasped in surprised horror. "He is...Darth Sidious and even worse...as shameful for me to say or admit this, Anakin Skywalker is now apprenticed to him, a Sith Apprentice I meant. He is no longer our ally and a friend." Holographic tears slid out of his static face. Kyra understood how a person felt like that. A teacher who trained his student for so long not only loses him but betrays him as well.
"I just want you all, my Jedi friends, to hide and find somewhere safe. Do not bother fighting back the Clone Troopers or you might as well risk your life. I assure you in these times of darkness, there will be a glint of light that will continue to ignite in our hearts as long as we keep our faith in the Light Side of The Force. Before I'll go, I just want you to be careful out there, to all the younglings as well as the seniors, as this Galaxy was not as safe as it used to
"I know things can be hard right now but I just want you all to know...in these times of Darkness, there'll always be a glint of light. If only we keep our faiths in the Light Side of the Force. Be careful out there and don't try fighting the Clone Troopers, or you'll get yourself into more trouble. Before I end this transmission, I would like I say...May the Force be with you...always..." The holographic image of Obi Wan Kenobi disappeared in a glimpse. Mahrleen opened her mouth to say something but looking at the rest of their grim faces, she decided to keep quiet like them for a long time. Kyra bit her lip wondering if this was the fate she was expecting, this unexpected destiny, the true Omen!
"Everything that happened, it felt like I wished for the worst to come, I am the Omen!" Kyra whispered in grief.
"No, Kyra, you didn't. Destiny decides us but we can't decide our destiny," Byron tried to cheer her up.
"Like I said, let's just be optimistic and look forward to the great things that would come," for the first time, there was fear in Mahrleen's voice. Kyra then understood that in this period it was hard to feel relaxed and confident with positive emotions.
"Mahrleen, take care of Byron. I need to have some time alone," Kyra told her.
"Where are you going?" asked Byron.
"Just on the rooftops. It won't be long." She rushed towards the staircase leading to her bed chambers. Kyra's room mostly consisted of pink and white furniture and lovely floral wallpaper, giving it a feminine look. Her bed was covered in a magenta blanket in which cute stuffed animals of a nexu, a rancor and a veermok. These animals were known for their ferocity, unless they were turned into stuffed toys. Her room was also slightly messy but she showed no concern today, or any other day. She was always too busy to clean her room.
Kyra slid the glass window that led her to a balcony and climbed a ladder. Once she reached the top, she could get a view of a small part of Coruscant. Just as the ecumenopolis was busy in the day, it was also alive at night. Only tonight was different. She could hear sounds of people screaming from a distance and loud explosions. Usually, the lights of Coruscant would shimmer brightly in the night skies but there was dense smoke coming everywhere. Then she turned to gaze at the four moons, these last four moons that had been shining during the glory of the Galactic Republic, will finally set at dawn as the new rising Sun will mark the first day the Galactic Empire's rise to power. Kyra could only stare in sadness and hopelessness.
The Clone Wars may have ended but this only led to the beginning of The Dark Times...
AN: Special fangz 2 reader10152 and zanderharusume for commenting on my story (geddit? Cuz Im goffik)- JUST KIDDING! To my fellow readers, thank you so much to those who are following me now, DarkLady and Greawenn, and also those who enjoyed reading this story. It is such an honour for me and I really appreciate it. I am really sorry I had to delete my previous fan fiction because I felt that my previous story felt unintelligent and unrealistic. I also had to change some of the dialogue and storyline so that Kyra wouldn't sound so Mary Sue-ish. I won't guarantee that Kyra won't completely be a Mary Sue but she will still have some of those traits. I also changed Phoenix Angelblade's name to Byron Lysander because his name sound's so Gary Stu-ish. Yes he was name after Lord Byron and one of the characters from Shakespearean literature, since I am a fan of literature as well. Please forgive me if you meet up with spelling or grammatical errors along the way. After all, this is my first fan fiction so I'm sorry if the story isn't so great. I highly recommend if any of you could comment my mistakes and I would try to adjust them. I know this chapter almost doesn't sound anything like a Star Wars story but there will be more chapters coming up so please stay tuned.