Leorda was thirteen when the corporate authority came to her planet Maun. She gazed up at their ships when they first flew across the sky listening to her parents arguing about whether or not they should leave the city just in case they weren't friendly. After all their planet was on the very edge of known space remote therefore the weequay colony that inhabited it was not used to visitors.
The colony was established two centuries ago by Weequay tough thick brown skinned humanoid like beings tired of the squalor that their own world had become and the ever-increasing profiling of all weequay as criminals by the Republic Senate making it impossible for law-abiding weequay to live on the core worlds without their every move scrutinized.
Until some influential weequay had the idea to start a colony made for their own kind free from the crime lords that ruled their planet and from the prejudice of the inner core. And after the long perilous journey across space until they reached the very edge of the known galaxy and happened on a planet capable of sustaining life.
Now the colony was nearly two hundred years old and never was visited by any outsiders until now when the ships large enough to block the sun started appearing all over the planet making no attempt to colonial government thought this would lead to trade taking all colonists of Maun into a new era at first some of the weequay was excited with the fleet of ships seen in the sky.
While others looked at them in fear some colonists believed that any trade agreements would only lead to trouble and that the whole purpose of colonizing a planet at the very edge of space was not to be bothered by anyone and as long as the colony was self-sustaining the need for trade was very low.
Even though compared to the rest of the galaxy technology wise the colonists used was basic and the colony itself did not yet encompass the entire planet just a few large cities in the western region and the colonial government hoped that the visitors would help them change that.
But the beings that piloted the ships never tried to contact the Colonial government about what they were doing in such a remote place and their silence gave a sense of apprehension to most of the Colonists.
The colonial government of Maun tried desperately to contact them but the only thing they ever heard was the sound of the engines of the ship as they pushed the fleet over the sky above.A year passed the weequay's overall attitude changed from excitement and wonder to fear and foreboding as the ships sliced across the sky.
Except for Leorda now 14 still stared up at the ships flying high above her as she walked home from was so preoccupied she walked into her brother. "Leorda please watch where you're going!" yelled her brother. Kuleb usually wasn't so irritable concerned she looked down at him and saw the tears on his face.
"What's the wrong Kuleb?" she asked. Her little brother shook his bald head."Are those kids bothering you again?" He was often picked on for being the only male weequay in school who was bald much like she was for being the only girl to have hair usually in their species it was the other way around."What happened then?" she asked him." Kuleb sighed and said, "It was recess and I saw this old woman crossing the road very slowly so I went to help her and after I did she thanked me and said.
"Usually, its boys who help this woman across the street but I guess those days are over now,".Leorda shook her head."She didn't mean anything by it Kuleb she probably didn't know who you were."Leorda noticed he still looked miserable."Do you remember what dad told you?"Kuleb repeated what their bald father told them and their older brother Terrec who is also bald.
"You are going to have to deal with the taunts of other weequay they can't understand that any species even the ours tend to have a few generations with some changes in their appearance after two centuries under completely different terrestrial circumstances. We aren't a family of freaks for looking different we are just adapting better to Maun than the rest of the weequay around us." Kuleb recited.
Leorda nodded."And I don't let it bother me that some people make fun of me for having hair because mom said many girls on Maun are born with it but their parents have it shaved off and have their daughter's heads covered in a chemical to make it not grow back so they look normal."she told her brother. "But mom doesn't wear hers in a braid like you do."Kuleb pointed out
."I know she wears it down I don't my hair is more of a statement saying I'm a girl who has hair and I'm proud of it." she lied. She knew it was the males that did this but she decided if she was going to get made fun of by nearly everyone for having hair she was going to wear it in a braid just to spite them. Kuleb smirked at this."And the fact it makes Dad mad has nothing to do with it huh?" he laughed."No!" she said. Kuleb still smirking stared at her not believing her.
"Okay maybe a little." she said."They both laughed at this while their home finally came into view."I have a way you could avoid confusing the old woman next time you help her cross the street."Leorda told brother.
"How?"Kuleb asked looking up at her feeling better. Leorda shrugged and said with a grin on her face."Next time just walk naked while you cross the street with her she's bound to notice you're a boy then!"Kuleb looked embarrassed if the young weequay boy could turn red he would have at his sister's laughed harder at the look on Kuleb's face.
Later that night Leorda sat at the dinner table with her parents laughing along with her and Kuleb at what she suggested to Kuleb."Please don't do that Kuleb." their father said with a smile on his face.
"I won't don't worry," he replied. Leorda was smiling as well until she saw the empty chair across from her and all the cheerfulness had been two years since her eldest brother Terrec left more than once Leorda tried to ask her parents about Terrec where he had gone why he left and didn't say goodbye.
But every time she mentioned him her mom would tear up and her father would pretend he did not hear remembered coming home and she wanted to talk to him about something she went to his room to find him not there his closet was empty and his clothes drawer emptied went back outside and found her parents outside standing next to each other their hands clasped together looking down the road as if waiting to see someone walk up to them and asked them where Terrec was.
"He left to make his own way." her father replied looking down at his daughter with a sad look on his face. Leorda knew her older brother was planning on moving out but didn't think it would be so sudden and without saying goodbye to either her or Kuleb she looked back at her parents and started to ask what happened."He said he didn't want to be part of our family anymore Leorda." her mother said that was the last thing either of her parents spoke of their eldest son."What's wrong Leorda." her mother questioned bringing her daughter out of her recollection.
"Nothing I was just trying to figure out something that's all."She said."Where did you go Terrec?" she thought to look around the table until she saw Kuleb looking at her worried. She gave him a reassuring smile when they all heard a loud beeping in the next room indicating an incoming call to their holoprojector.
"Do you think that's him?" her mother asked her father. Leorda wondered if she was talking about Terrec and hope started to rise in her chest at the thought of talking to her older brother again until."If its Orm he had better be calling to tell us he is on his way with our delivery." her father replied. Leorda felt her renewed hope vanish in an instant knowing now both her parents were expecting a call from their supplier they expected him to arrive and restock various fruits and meats to their market at the start of the week but he never showed forcing her parents to close their store. She watched as both her parents left the table and go to the other room to answer the call.
She got up as well and walked outside into the cool night. Maun's full twin moons lit up the night sky making Leorda cast a large shadow across the yard as she walked across it before she lied down on the grass staring into the night sky as was her nightly ritual since the ships night she lied on her back on the front lawn of their house watching the ships as they drifted across the sky above until her father told her to go to bed.
Watching the ships fly high above she wondered where they came from and what species they were. She lived on Maun her whole life she only thing ever learned about the rest of the galaxy was from outdated holos and texts and what she heard from space pilots whenever she was with her parents when they set up a kiosk at the shuttle port selling fresh produce to pilots. Who traveled far off world to make a living. But she wanted to see the rest of the galaxy as well and looking up at the ships as they passed overhead was the closest she ever got.
Leorda dreamed to be like the pilots she talked to. To travel the stars meet another sentient life like zabaracks and Twi leks because the only sentient life on Maun were weequay. Suddenly her view of the ships was suddenly obstructed by the face of her little brother staring down at her the moonlight making his thick brown hide looked silver wearing a tan shirt and black pants and a questioning look on his face he looked up at the sky too watching the ships soar high above.
"Leorda why do you stare at them all the time?" he asked out of curiosity. Leorda smiled both her parents and all her teachers asked her the same question" I just wonder where they come from and if they start to land I would like to see it happen." she told Kuleb as he sat down next to her. Leorda glanced at him his bald head shining in the moonlight and noticed he looked troubled.
"What's wrong?" she asked him."Mom and Dad are talking about leaving the city again I think they might do it this time." said Kuleb. "They always talk about it but in the end, they don't what makes this time any different?" she asked him
"It was Orm on the projector telling Mom and dad he wouldn't be coming into the city anymore." he told her."Leorda sat up and listened as her brother continued to repeat the conversation he overheard.
"Dad asked why and Orm said it was because of the ships how someone told him they were military ships used for invasion or could decimate a planet from orbit."Leorda shook her head at Orm's stupidity if the ships were here to invade Maun wouldn't they have done so by now?"Dad and Mom really bought that? No way they let him off that easy."Leorda said dumbfounded."They were laughing athim at first until he explainedhow he knew what kind of ships they were."
Leorda was troubled by this."What did he say?" she asked Kuleb."He said he found an old Holodisk showing those ships completely wipe out the surface of a planet."Leorda and Kuleb were quiet for a long time until Leorda asked him what happened next."Nothing the transmission became scrambled then it cut out that's when mom and dad started to talk about leaving the city." he said. She stood up her brother looked up at his sister perplexed she looked like a silver statue in the moonlight her black long black hair wrapped in a braid dry grass stuck to her dark brown shirt and her pants.
Her blue eyes now filled with concern, Leorda actually thought they were leaving this time."And Mom and Dad talked about this in front of you?" she asked guessing the answer."No, I overheard them they don't exactly whisper."he said. Leorda tilted her head back to look up at the ships sailing across the sky once more before she went back inside. When she saw it a single ship broke off from the fleet descending rapidly until it stopped and started to hover over the city.
It completely covered the moonlit night sky shrouding everything beneath it in darkness the engines roaring overhead like weequay poured out of their homes and onto the street and looked up in shock including both of her parents. Leorda's father stared up at the hovering ship his face showing a look of pure dread.
Leorda felt unease at seeing this when she saw movement out of the corner of her eye she watched as the weequay all started walking down the street following the ship all wanting to finally see the visitors. She started to walk with them before her mother called her back."Leorda stop it's not safe!"
Leorda looked back at her mother and told her she just wanted to see the ship land."Absolutely not we need to get in the bunker now!" said her father. The bunker was a little room beneath their house with a door hidden in the hallway where they sheltered during the worst of storm season that happened at the end of the year.
But her father's idea didn't appeal to Leorda the thought of sitting with her family in the bunker while she missed the chance to meet other beings from other worlds was trivial. She thought about what Kuleb overheard and ran it through her mind not believing it."It doesn't make sense why come all the way across the galaxy to attack us for no reason at all and wait for a whole year to do so?" she thought as she looked back at the crowd all following the ship as it pushed on into the heart of the capital.
"Leorda come inside now." ordered her father collecting Kuleb and starting to go back into the house with her mother. Leorda knew she had a choice to make now obey her parents and go down in the bunker and miss the chance to hear from an alien world or follow the crowd and possibly be in serious trouble with her parents.
Leorda's mother turned to her daughter who had not made any effort to enter the house and was going to tell her to come on when she noticed she was gone. Leorda had made her decision as soon as her parents and Kuleb turned their backs and started to follow the crowd into the center of the capitol very few paid her any mind as they walked.
Leorda and the crowd walked down the streets as the ship stopped and remained to hover over the city but the crowd pushed on until they reached the city center and stopped outside the parliament building where the colonial government was housed and it was here that Leorda's family caught up with her.
Her mother was furiously telling her how worried she made them, how irresponsible her actions were how much danger she put the rest of them in when they ran after her father just looked at Leorda with an angry look and told her."We're going home now." he grabbed Leorda's arm and started to pull her back through the crowd.
Then something was fired from the ship into the center of the square. A large blue holographic head appeared high above the tallest buildings where every colonist could see. In a thunderous voice, it shouted"Attention Colonists of Maun your planet is the property of the corporate authority and is designated to be mined for profit."
Leorda gasped and turned to her father who in his shock forgot about leaving her mother and brother stared at the massive alien head as well which looked bizarre the skin on its face was pale as death with short hair on its head.
"What species is that dad?" Leorda asked."Human" replied her father as the human continued to speak."The colony which you have created here is illegal and we do not recognize the government that you put into place ,this planet was never meant to be settled but there is a way we can coexist with minor but necessary changes and it is our wish that this transition will be as peaceful as possible but that can only happen with utmost compliance of every inhabitant of this colony, to do this first and foremost is that the colonial government be disbanded immediately.
Secondly, all spaceports must be shut down and every civilian ship must land by the end of the day or be destroyed.
Finally, the entire colonial population should relocate to the facilities already being manufactured out in rural areas where you will be put to work serving this company. If these requirements are not met in two days time the consequences will be severe."And with the message over the blue hologram of the human's head disappeared, the effect was immediate the crowds of weequay started yelling in outrage and disbelief shouting obscenities so foul Leorda's mother covered her ears.
But Leorda felt the weequay hatred within her."Who do these humans think they are come here to tell us we have no colony?When our ancestors traversed the stars to find a place where we could be free from crimelords and the corruption of the Republic!"
Shaking from her mother she ran through the crowd to a parked speeder and climbed on its roof and yelled."We will not submit our colony to be ruled by invaders Maun is our home not owned by them!"The weequay will not be enslaved by humans we won't cower to their threats. Our ancestors did not traverse the galaxy for our colony to kneel to some corporation people of Maun let them hear you !" Leorda called out to the crowd heard her and began to chant"We will not be slaves".
Leorda looked at her work and felt pride building in her chest she was about to call something else equally inflammatory when someone grabbed her by the middle and picked her up off the speeder and sat her on the ground she turned in fury and was about to punch the interloper when she recognized him.
It was her elder brother Terrec who she had not seen in two years he was taller than their father and his head was bald as Kuleb's. He looked much older now than when she last saw him the clothes he wore looked faded and his eyes had bags under them as if he hadn't slept in several days. But he still wore the same friendly face she had known most of her life he smiled down at her and said.
"Great sis, you started a revolution but that is no excuse to use my speeder as a podium!"She laughed and hugged him he looked down at Leorda who he had missed she had grown up a lot her braid had grown past her neck her face was bright and happy as he remembered it ."Terrec it's great to see you! How have you been where's Kuy?" she asked. Terrec's smile faded."We are not together anymore." he said quickly trying to avoid the subject.
Leorda felt bad for Terrec knowing it must have hurt losing someone he doted on for years but she was grateful that his relationship with Kuy was over Leorda always hated her."We can catch up as soon as I get you and our parents and Kuleb back to my cabin where are they?"Leorda was about to answer when the blue human head appeared in the sky once more."Well it seems this won't go peacefully at all so this is your choice then?" asked the human. All the weequay crowd as one roared back in defiance at the holographic head.
"Very well." it responded and the hologram cut out. The ship that was hovering above the city started to retreat back into the sky rising far above the city the crowd in the streets below cheered believing they won a victory for their world. All of a sudden a bright red light erupted from the ship and hit the colonial government's parliament building vaporizing it and all inside. Silence ruled the crowd now Leorda and Terrec looked at the horrific sight the building that housed the colony's leadership was nothing but a crater now , seeing the ship halt its ascension and suddenly billions of large fighters swarmed the skies flying out of the sides of the cruiser bearing down on the city and its citizens.
The fighters rained down fire into the city below several of the bolts hit the crowd amassed in the street below killing hundreds Leorda watched in horror as the fighters circled around and fired more into the vastly dispersing crowd.
Terrec grabbed his sister and ran down an alley to a side street. Fighters now blanketed the skies firing into the city bombarding it smashing buildings with blaster fire while ion torpedoes leveled entire blocks Terrec carried his sister to their families shop unlocking the door with his key he always had he rushed in with Leorda at his side opening the cellar door and descending the stairs down into the dark space below setting Leorda down in the cellar and said frantically "Stay here I will come back with our parents and our brother then we will all wait here until they move on then we will go home together."His eyes wide with fear noticing Leorda standing there with a blank expression her eyes wide staring grabbed his sister and shook her and repeated himself.
This time his words sunk in."No! I'll come with you." she responded."I can't look for them and watch you at the same time you must stay here where it's safe!With that said he turned around and ran up the cellar steps into the market above. Refusing to let her brother leave her behind she raced after him. Into the store just to see him leave out the door she raced out of the market he turned and saw her coming out in the night behind him he opened his mouth to yell at her to get back in the cellar when he saw a fighter fly across the sky firing a torpedo out of its side into the row a buildings behind her without thinking he grabbed her pushing her to the street below just he just managed to get on top of her shielding her as the torpedo hit the building detonating.
A powerful explosion leveled the entire block deafening them both heat searing Terrec's back, and as quick had come it was gone leaving nothing but rubble behind their family's store cellar and all gone. Terrec got up off his sister relieved she was alive and not maimed in any way he only wished the same happened to him he felt his skin on his back melting seeing flames on his shoulder he rolled on the pavement putting out the flames on his back.
He got up of the pavement once the flames were out and turned to Leorda whose clothes were covered in dust and asked her to take a look."It's not that bad." she said."Really?" he responded turning to her and she nodded looking towards the sky noticing the ships she saw earlier were also descending towards the planet the ."We need to get home before more of them come." she said terrified.
He nodded and said."Stay close to me." Leorda huffed and thought."That's what I was doing before you tried to get me blown up!"And so they both started walking eyes glued to the sky watching for more fighters they made there way back to the street where it all started and Terrec gasped and said:"Don't look."
His warning coming too late for Leorda who was right beside him saw them, the crowd that only moments ago were amassed together refusing to submit to the corporate authority's demands laid dead on the street most covered in rubble some looking like they were executed by rifles at close range.
"They have foot soldiers!" thought Terrec. The hologram was probably a distraction while they deployed their ground forces."
As if to confirm this theory Terrec heard a fellow colonist yelling in the distance suddenly interrupted by blaster fire then silence. Leorda heard it too their house was not far from this street just a couple of blocks away but one wrong move they would be gunned down.
Leorda followed Terrec down a side street to an alley that led to their neighborhood they were close to their house where they saw a horrifying sight most of the weequay families who lived here were on the street surrounded by troops in black armor and helmets with rectangular visors. Mothers fathers and their young children all facing a death squad with the rifles pointed right at them.
Terrec grabbed his sister and hid behind a low stone wall that enclosed the lawn of a home out of sight they both peered over it observing the horrific scene before them. Leorda saw the girl that Kuleb played with she looked terrified they all did they all had their eyes on the one tall soldier that stood alone behind the outer ring of soldiers wearing silver armor and speaking in a comm.
"They are about around thirty here sir," said the soldier's voice was impossible to determine whether male or female because the helmet scrambled the soldiers words into a mechanical tone.
The comm responded."Sorry, but we are stocked with the number of workers at the moment can't take anymore tonight." in an equal mechanical voice at these words, all of the women started pleading with the squad of soldiers that surrounded them to spare their children. But their pleas fell on deaf ears because with a single gesture from the silver one all the humans started firing on them all Leorda closed her eyes and covered her ears.
After seeing Kuleb's friend take a blaster bolt to the chest but Terrec saw it all as the troopers fired into the mass of weequay their blasts killing whole families even the children who probably didn't see it coming they were killed as mercilessly as their parents the blasters firing without pause every shot mark was true Terrec could not look away the red lights almost hypnotic until what felt like hours they finally stopped when the last body hit the was then the one in silver armor spoke again.
"Listen up!Every camp is filled up for the next 24 hours the orders are to completely execute any groups like this or larger no more prisoners until that time ." said the one with the silver all nodded and began to disperse following their captain's lead down the road.
Terrec just sat their numb he could not get their faces out of his head their final moments before the bolts hit them was forever sealed in his soul some raising their heads accepting their fate others refusing to give up hope shielded their children even though they knew their efforts were in vain but there was one that stood out among the carnage that was the most unexpected the very last one to die.
It was a very old weequay man one among all his neighbors Terrec did not recognize just sitting there cross-legged on the ground eyes closed with no reaction to the brutality unfolding around him until he opened his eyes noticing he was the only one left he looking at the killer who was about to fire at him and smiled with pure serenity the trooper fired and the bolt hit the old man in his face and he hit the ground dead.
"Why did he smile?"Terrec thought. Leorda allowed her eyes to open and her arms to fall from her head hearing and seeing the once again the first thing she noticed was the quiet as if all that happened was a bad dream but her sheer exhaustion and the fact she was kneeling outside on the cold wet grass staring up at the night sky, not in her room lying in bed looking at ceiling was proof that this was not a dream this was real. She turned seeing her brother on his knees and the mound of bodies beyond him she went to Terrec and looked at his face and saw a blank vacant stare his eyes seeing nothing.
She waved her hand in his face he didn't blink or flinch knowing what she had to do she stretched out her palm and slapped his face giving all her strength unprepared for the attack he hit the ground. Terrec held the side of his face as he got up off the ground."I'm sorry I had to."Leorda said apologetically."It's alright I know thank you." he replied. out of his stupor he glanced at his sister who was looked exhausted he knew she couldn't keep going for much longer.
"We are almost home just a little farther." he thought. Terrec motioned Leorda to stay there while he climbed over the low wall and looked down either side of the empty street homes stood on each side their house was just down the road past the bodies it was a small building with only one floor three bedrooms and a secret bunker with a hidden door in the hallway hopefully this is where their parents and their brother would be."If they are alive.said a voice in his head.
Terrec visibly shook at the image of all three of them in a pile of fellow weequay in a street like this one flashed across his mind with all his reserve he pushed this thought away seeing no path forward worrying what might be besides he can't afford to lose himself like he did moments before Leorda needed looked around the street listening for footsteps but all he heard were explosions in the distance.
"They must have moved on thank quay we don't have to worry about their bombs right now." Terrec thought made his way back to the Leorda and motioned her to follow him. Leorda followed her older brother until they reached the massacred weequay where she saw Kuleb's friend's body tears welling in her eyes just now remembering the girl's name. Kurel laid dead just a few inches in front of her.
Tears pouring down her face she walked further going to her brother who was waiting for her outside their house. Together they both opened the front door entering their home.
They carefully made their way across the empty rooms looking all around for their parents or hidden corporate authority devils until finally they went back to the hallway where Terrec despite being away for two years knew the combination punching it in opening it where it led into a small room lit up with white light illuminating a ladder led down into the room and the bodies at the foot of it.
"No!"Terrec yelled he half jumped half fell into the bunker below landing on his feet just a few inches were his mother and father lie motionless with small holes in their bodies smoking indicating their deaths happened recently. Leorda hearing the anguish in Terrec's voice followed her brother down in the bunker using the ladder refusing to believe it until she stared down at them all doubt erased in an instant.
Leorda's eyes filled over with tears cascading down her face her legs gave out collapsing her to the ground she barely noticed it all she could feel was a disbelief that this could happen to the two people that were not just a part of her life but it in essence she always knew in some way everything she did in her life up to this point revolved around them to get their approval or protest.
They were the ones who made her feel invincible enough to shout those things in the rally against the corporate authority all that was gone now leaving her as though someone cut out a part of her heart she blamed herself for this if she had just listened to them they could have been safe .
Terrec who was sitting by them felt only one thing regret as he got older their opinion mattered less and less until they fought every time they spoke until one day he left for the wilderness after knew one. Terrec knew he should have gone and made peace long he never did always put it off thinking there would be more time until now as he sat there wondering what could have happened if he was here would they still be alive now.
It seemed like hours since they both entered the bunker and saw their parents dead both quiet not moving Leorda still on the floor Terrec still by the ladder until Leorda broke the silence."It's all my fault."Terrec looked up and asked her what she meant."I started all this back on that street after the first hologram ended mother tried to keep me quiet but I got away and jumped on your speeder and yelled at the crowd getting them chanting it's what started all of this mother father everyone is dead because of me."she said laying on the floor sounding hollow when she said this.
"None of this is your fault Leorda," said refused to believe him."It is too they would not have attacked if I had just stayed home!" she screamed. Terrec knew if he argued there would be a fight but he had no choice he wouldn't let his sister blame herself."The corporate authority came here to conquer us they were going to do so no matter what the crowd did and they were already chanting and cursing at them before you climbed up on my speeder." he said. Leorda got up off the floor angry at her brother.
"What do you know?"She yelled."I know it's not your fault ."her brother replied not wanting to admit the truth getting off the floor walking across the room in front of the young girl who angrily said "You don't know anything it was me who wanted to go see the ship coming down they didn't want to they wanted to come down here but I didn't listen I chased the ship instead and they followed me there!" she said loudly her voice filled with regret she believed it was her fault and she wasn't going to be told otherwise still, her brother persisted."It's not your fault" he said Leorda was infuriated now.
"Stop saying that!"They are dead because of me!" she said pointing at their parent's bodies lifeless and slumped against the wall but her brother simply shook his head this sent her over the edge."YOU WERE'NT HERE HOW COULD YOU KNOW?"She screamed in rage."I KNOW BECAUSE I'M THE REASON THEY ARE DEAD NOT YOU!" he yelled back at her Leorda's blue eyes snapped to her brother's equally blue ones which were flooding out tears over his face.
"I - I knew the whole time this filth were here to wipe us out those ships are built for war meant peace was never on their agenda all the time everyone looked up at them flying across our world overhead they were looking down seeing what they wanted what they could take. I knew my family was in danger and I went to the city to find you all and bring all of you back to my cabin knowing the cities would be the first to be attacked.
Leorda found her voice."I know you told me."Terrec sighed still crying and finally admitted his greatest shame."I arrived in the city weeks ago I went to our house stood just outside and I froze I couldn't take another step I could hear our parents just inside but did not call out to them.
Despite everything I thought was about to happen I knew talking with them would involve apologizing and admitting that I was a fool for believing Kuy that she was in love with me but she wasn't and stole every credit I had and ran off with some other man I didn't want to face it I wanted to avoid the subject altogether so I turned around and left and went back to the room I rented at the Inn nearby thinking I had to convince them to leave with me without speaking about the past."
"Weeks went by and I still couldn't think of anything to say I hated myself for being a coward not too afraid to enter a city I knew was going to be blown to bits at any time but was completely terrified was to speak about something that happened two years before,"he said his eyes finally running dry but his confession was not over.
"And tonight when the ship was above the city after the human spoke their demands I saw them again just across the street and I still couldn't speak to them then you ran from them and got on top of my speeder and spoke your heart out to a crowd of furious weequay who were before only lashing out their anger in random ways until they heard you say that all of us would not be slaves to them that our colony our home was not owned by anyone that our freedom meant something.
"I felt so proud and yet jealous that you could make an entire streetful of strangers see things differently but I was too afraid to own up to my mistakes."
So I selfishly stopped you from saying anything else to the crowd to help me with our parents. I thought they would be so grateful that I found you it would help avoid being awkward. I lied to you about not knowing where they are and now they are dead not for something you did but something I couldn't do."
Leorda was silent looking at Terrec for the longest time processing everything he told her and decided finally that he was wrong that what happened wasn't his fault ."They didn't die because of you ."Her brother his story told was returning back to the corner when he turned to her.
"I don't blame you and every horrible thing we saw tonight was caused by the humans they came here to enslave us and kill all who opposed them but they cannot totally control us if we don't let them the only option left to them is to kill us but if they can't do that it means every breath we take is spit in their faces."she told him.
Terrec stared at his sister just now seeing how much she grew up since he was away he didn't see her as an ignorant little girl anymore but a young woman who will not back down to the invaders despite all she saw. "Every day we live is a victory for our parents and our people," said Leorda. Terrec hoped that his sister's words would hold them together in the difficult times ahead. There was a loud thud outside the bunker as if someone was trying to get in.
"Wha-. " Leorda started but Terrec held a finger to his lips silencing her. Then a voice could be heard outside."Mom Dad are you in there?"Both siblings recognized the voice belonging to their youngest brother Kuleb. Terrec raced up the ladder and opened the door and it took a minute for the young child to recognize his elder brother who was gone so long.
"Terrec?" asked the boy.."Yeah, it's me come on down."Said Terrec."Are mom and dad down there?" he looked at him and told them they were but couldn't bring himself to tell them they were of them climbed back down and told Kuleb to shut the door behind him once he started climbing down.
When he saw the bodies of his parents he went over to them and said."I didn't want to believe it."Kuleb sat next to them his eyes already starting to tear Leorda came over and embraced him both she and Terrec where both relieved that their brother was alive and with them when they found their parents dead assumed the little weequay was taken Leorda asked him how he escaped.
"I wasn't taken dad decided to try and get back here after the bombs started to fall, Mom didn't want to she wanted to find you but dad said you were probably already here or on your way he said he would try to find you after me and mom were safe.
We left heading towards the house but then we ran right into one of them it pointed it's weapon at us and yelled for us to get on the ground we did he started talking in his communicator he turned his back on us for one second before mom picked up a piece of rubble and smacked him in the back of the head and he fell.
We ran together until we came to our street I started to fall behind they both stopped and turned back and then- "he stopped eyes closed and finally said;"I saw them come out of the houses herding everyone out of their homes they were right in front of us mom and dad didn't see them I yelled and they started shooting mom was hit dad grabbed her and ran down the street I tried to follow but they cut me off from them I ran in the opposite direction I felt their bolts just fly by me.
I just kept running until I heard the shooting stop I found a dumpster and hid in it I was so scared that they would find me. But I sat there listening hearing nothing I got out of the dumpster and came here."Terrec listened to the story now knowing his parents were not killed in the bunker they got to their house but his father must have been shot at this point but full of adrenaline didn't notice until he got in the bunker where mother who was either dead or close to it and his father must have bled looked at his two younger siblings vowing he wouldn't fail them like he did his parents.
"
We should bury them while it's dark," he told them. All three siblings worked together they managed to get their recently deceased parents out of the bunker half carrying half dragging them out of the house through a glass door into the backyard enclosed by a low garden wall the sky had a pinkish hue mixed with blue a sign of the coming dawn.
Terrec grabbed a shovel and started to dig once the graves were dug all three siblings set their parents gently down in them .Terrec grabbed the shovel again and started to bury them but Leorda stopped him."Let me do it you need to think of what to say."Terrec looked at her."It's too late for that." he responded. "Not yet," she said silent tears coming down her face.
Terrec nodded and stood back as Leorda picked up the shovel and started pouring dirt on her parents she knew this was right Terrec needed to speak to them even if they couldn't listen anymore if he didn't he would always regret it. As Terrec watched his parents graves filling with dirt he wondered as he did all those weeks exactly what to say. Terrec looked down at the two graves for the longest time he remembered the argument that sent him away until this moment as Leorda finished burying them.
He remembered it being a sunny afternoon when he just left Kuy's house with a sense of victory, he had asked her to marry him and she said it was time to tell his parents the truth that he never stopped seeing her even after the market fiasco when she accidentally slipped out of there without paying,the clerk overreacted banishing her from ever coming back when the market's owners Terrec's parents found out they told him to stop seeing her he knew it was better to lie than fight about it and kept seeing her in secret. He knew they would have doubts at first but Terrec was sure they would come around after all they were not the type of people to hold a grudge.
Terrec went home and told his parents the truth and he apologized for his secrecy but was shocked to find out they already known."You really thought we had no idea where else could you have been going?" said his mother with an amused tone."And your not a master at sneaking in the house as you might think." said his father winking at him.
Terrec looked at them both and felt an immense relief believing the worst was over he told them what happened that demeanor changed instantly from a relaxed and amused atmosphere from his mother washing dishes to her turning from the sink staring at her son with disbelief to his father's who was sitting at the table doing figures looked up and stared up at him in utter shock.
Seeing their shocked silence as a calm before a very heavy storm and his only chance to plead his case Terrec told them he found a well-paying job at lumber site that offered a cabin to all who worked there he could move into the cabin with Kuy and start their lives together. His parents did not change their moods they were still in a very shocked and worried state looking at each several moments of awkward silence, his father spoke bluntly."Terrec is Kuy pregnant?"Terrec shocked and embarrassed told his father no.
Both of his parents let out sighs of his mother left the sink and sat at the table between his father and him."Terrec I think it's wonderful your starting to build a great life for yourself and that your first instinct is to share that with a woman you believe is worthwhile but Kuy isn't that woman." she told him.
Terrec angry and in utter disbelief that his mother would say that about his fiance stood up and glared down at her."I can't believe you!" he said angrily."You still believe she tried to steal from us it was an accident mom!"His mother closed her eyes and as though praying for patience responded."For your information, your father and I haven't given that any thought in a good while but since you brought it up I don't believe I know she was purposefully stealing from us !" said his mother firmly.
"What makes you so certain?"Old Tela sometimes has trouble remembering to pay!"Terrec always had to remind the old weequay about it."Old tela is nearly a century old her memory is leaving her and even she knows not to trust your fiance to hold her purse!" interrupted his father not liking how Terrec made this sound like Kuy's actions were accidental.
Then told his son that Kuy had been caught before at other stores and it wasn't for not having the money but for thinking it was beneath her being completely rude and without apology to those who caught her at it and how she was a selfish entitled witch and the only one in the whole city that was completely blind to her actions was Terrec.
Terrec refused to believe this or anything else they told him about how Kuy is a habitual thief and a liar sick of hearing it he stood up and said."That's enough!"Kuy and I are getting married we are going to live happily together!"
His father glared at him and his mother looked at him with a look of hopelessness."If you marry this girl it will be without our support we will not acknowledge her as one of our family I will not have her tarnish this family's name." his father said firmly his mother nodding in agreement.
Terrec stared at his parents knowing they would not change their views on the matter so he simply said."If you won't accept her then you can do without me."They both looked away from Terrec not giving into his ultimatum neither of them spoke to him leaving him with one option.
Terrec left the table went to his room packed his clothes and left the only thing he called home and his family for a woman who would hurt him in the end not knowing that would be the last time he would speak to them.
Until now standing in front of their graves he finally spoke."You were right I was a fool, Kuy stole from me and left me with almost nothing but that paled in comparison to what I knowingly lost the last time we cabin was huge but it was empty even if Kuy was there it never felt like the home you gave me since I was born, I'm so sorry I didn't listen to you."Terrec was starting to cry now and started shaking but kept talking.
"It would be easier to blame that horrible witch for everything but I would know in my heart it was me who left it was me who made no effort to mend what I had broken and it was me who instead of owning up to my mistakes like a man should let you die instead it should be me buried here not you but I swear I will not walk away from Leorda and Kuleb, like I did you."
With that said he let the tide of grief and loss fill him and told Leorda said her own goodbyes then with the rising sun at their backs, went back into what was once their home to the bunker underneath it where exhausted they lied down on the floor and slept.