A/N: Rana is pronounced RAY-NUH, if you're wondering. And I don't own Star Wars-good ole Georgie does. 3


Chapter One

Not many people have heard of Kallistas, but those who have associate it with Tatooine in its Outer Rim location and desert likeness. However, unlike Tatooine, Kallistas has several low mountain ranges that run across its equator.

Deep in the crevices of these mountains was a population of Dark Jedi. We were called Sith by those from the light side of the force, but always took on a different title.

The Jedi thought their galaxy was peaceful, that no amount of evil existed. But we were always there, and always would be there. Hiding in the shadows, waiting to fulfill our purpose.

My purpose had never been clear to me. The little I knew about the dark side came from my parents, both of them being Sith. That was the only thing I remembered about them, aside from when I was four years old—when the Jedi found us.

Nobody knew why they had led an expedition to the Outer Rim territories. Perhaps they needed to stop at Trevalis for supplies and stumbled upon us. The space station was very close to the mountains, and there was no doubt that they couldn't miss such large amounts of dark Force energy radiating from our caves.

At the time, I had been fast asleep in my bunk. I can still remember my dream. A shining energy, pure and bright, slowly flying towards me. It would've been strange to see light in the mountains, where the only color in our mines was black, but it felt oddly comforting—and warm. I was reaching out, longing to bathe in its heat, when my mother woke me.

"Rana!" she said. I turned to respond to her voice. It had its usual softness, but there was an edge of worry and fear that caused her golden irises to glow a dark yellow. "Rana, you need to get up."

But I could only stare at her, how her dark hair hadn't been brushed and was thrown this way and that. I glanced around the room and noticed that toys and furniture had been strewn about carelessly.

"Rana!" she said again, her eyes flashing. With that, I sat up and rolled off my bed. She didn't wait for me to regain my composure, instead grabbing my wrist and dragging me down the hallway.

As we passed by the front entrance, I saw my father's back as he leaned out the door and glanced around the surrounding caves worriedly. Suddenly, a green light glowed from further down the tunnel, and his posture stiffened. The last thing I saw of him was his dirty white, long-sleeved mining shirt disappearing down the cave and the lightsaber clinging to his dark pants being pulled into his strong grip.

My mother ushered me into a back room and began rummaging through a few storage chests in a mad haste. Finally, she turned around and handed me a large cylinder. It was made of the finest metal and felt heavy in my small hands.

"They'll be here any minute," she muttered to herself, and I could sense the emotions rolling off her in waves. This was unusual—usually my mother kept her composure and remained calm in every situation, never letting her guard down. But now she seemed desperate, as if we were being pursued and had reached a dead end.

And I didn't know it then, but we had.

Footsteps sounded outside the door and I could almost hear my mother's heart pounding inside of her chest. She handed me a torch and quickly lit it.

"Rana, listen to me." She didn't even pause to make sure if I was or not, though I was. "No matter what happens to me, or whatever sounds you hear coming from the mountains, you have to run."

Running.

I was young, but had always been on the move. I had learned to sprint before I had learned to walk. Running was something I was good at.

"Do you understand?"

I stared into her inflamed eyes and nodded slowly, still groggy from an interrupted night's sleep.

My mother had been kneeling in front of me, but now she stood up and walked to the other side of the room, opening a door that I had never known was there. "Now go." She cast a glance in the direction of the front of our cave, and I knew she was tuning herself in to the Force. Her eyes fell back onto me. "Run! Quickly!"

I made a beeline for the door and she shut it behind me, but not before three brown-cloaked figures entered the room. There was a split-second where I caught a glimpse of their emerald- and sapphire-colored blades casting a glow across the dark room. The last thing I saw was tears streaming down my mother's face as she closed her eyes and the hooded beings drove their lightsabers straight through her.

Then the door shut in my face.