A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….

Star Wars

A Soul Adrift

Ryloth, the homeworld of the Twi'leks,

is in chaos. Slavers constantly raid the

towns and villages across its vast surface.

The rural folk live in constant fear, afraid

that the slavers will come and carry them

away to an unknown fate.

Some Twi'leks have managed to escape their

homeworld and have gone to the Republic

Senate and the Jedi Order to help, but their

pleas do little. The Republic's troubles are

threatening to overwhelm the Senate. As

for the Jedi, the number of Force-sensitive

children born in the Republic is mysteriously

declining, and the Jedi ranks are thinning

at an alarming rate.

Most officials on Ryloth have given up trying

to end the lucrative slave trade and have

given the slavers free rein outside of the

main cities. The situation seems hopeless.

Tribes are disappearing overnight. Many

have fled into the uninhabited mountains

in hopes of losing their potential captors,

but very few hopes become realities....

Chapter I

Sri'lo

Taisan'kye shivered in the cool breeze of the Rylothian mountains. He pulled his ragged coat closer about him and paced back in forth in front of the small cave restlessly. His wife was in there, and she was having their first child. What if something went wrong? They'd been in there so long!

An old midwife stepped out of the cave and beckoned to him. He darted over and started babbling questions in a jumble. "Is she all right? How's the baby? What color is it? Is it a—"

The midwife held up her hand and said soothingly, "Your wife is fine, Taisan'kye. Come and see your daughter." She smiled and went back inside, Taisan'kye close at her heels. His wife was lying asleep in a narrow bed, holding a small bundle in her arms. The nervous father gulped hard and knelt down beside her. He pulled back the cloth around the child's face and caught a glimpse of her. The man closed his eyes, and his shoulders slumped. The midwife asked in surprise, "What's wrong? I thought you'd be happy!"

He looked up at her and attempted a smile. "I'd hoped for a girl, but--but not a red one. Now, when the slavers come, they'll take her first."

The midwife shook her head as if he were being foolish. "Come now, Taisan'kye, be sensible! This whole village has managed to stay hidden in these mountains for three years! I doubt the slavers will ever venture this far in, it's too dangerous for them. They'll never find us here."

Taisan'kye's eyes were bitter as he replied, "They'll find us. They always find us."

The midwife got down beside him and rearranged the blanket over the sleeping woman. "She has the eyes of her mother, Taisan'kye. Her eyes are as black as night, and they're the eyes of the Kamala! Your daughter will be beautiful when she grows up, a true honor to her family and her tribe! Cheer up, and, for goodness' sake, stop worrying!" The old woman stood and walked out of the room.

Taisan'kye took his wife's hand and rubbed it gently. The woman's eyes fluttered open, and she smiled wearily. "Taisan'kye, our daughter. Have you seen her?"

Taisan'kye put on a smile and replied, "Yes, I have. You need to rest now, go back to sleep."

"What should we name her?"

Taisan'kye shrugged. "I don't know. Do you have any ideas?"

The woman looked down at the sleeping babe nestled in the crook of her arm. "My great-grandmother was red with black eyes. Her name was Sri'lo--Sri'lokamala. That's what we'll call her, Sri'lo."

"I like that. Go back to sleep now, dear."

"But what about your supper? I've got to get up and fix it for you!"

He placed a gentle but restraining hand on her shoulder as she attempted to get up. "No, you stay there. I used to be a bachelor, I can fix my supper this once. Rest, I'll bring you something to eat. Are you cold, do you want me to get you another blanket?"

"No, I'm fine. I'm not hungry, don't bother to bring me anything. Go tell the elders what we've named her so they can make the record of her birth. Taisan'kye, Sri'lo is something special, I can feel it!" A bright smile lit up her pale yellow face.

"I'll go see the council right away." Taisan'kye rose abruptly and left. His wife stared after him, surprise showing in her dark, expressive eyes. She shook her head slightly and turned her attention to her child.

Taisan'kye went to the edge of the rocky, almost lifeless valley and stared out at the labyrinth of fallen rocks. Three years ago, they had come from that direction when the slavers attacked. But someday, he knew the slavers would make their own path from that same direction, and they would find him, his wife, and his child.

((Author's Note: Reviews for this story are greatly, greatly appreciated, especially since it's a long, on-going project. Also, I will update the two character slots in the story description as characters come and go in the story. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. :) ))