Chapter One
A man no older than twenty-five walked up the temple steps holding a small child in his arms. He held the child close, bundled up in a dirty blanket. She slept soundly, her chest rising and falling in a consistent cadence. It was a cold night on Coruscant. Thunder sounded in the distance, it was about to get much colder. Both of the two where covered in grime, dust matted in their similar blonde curls.
A Jedi approached them, they had been waiting for the girl, but they did not know the father would drop her off directly. The Jedi, a man, reached for the girl as if to take her from the fathers arms. The father shook his head and gave a gentle look silently asking for the Jedi to wait. The Jedi stepped back and averted his eyes toward the ground, waiting patiently.
"Lina," the father said softly, gently shaking the girl awake. "Lina sweetheart wake up." Lina, the small child, stretched in his arms, rubbing her eyes, and yawned quietly. The father set her feet on the ground so she could stand. She turned her back to the Jedi looking up at her father, facing him.
"Lina, sweetie listen to me, you are going to go with this nice man here, and he will take care of you. Okay?"
Lina's voice was soft and tired,"Okay Daddy."
"I won't be coming back, sweetheart."
Lina's eyes shone with fatigue and slight panic,"Why Daddy?"
"That is how it has to be Lina."
A tear ran down Lina's cheek, her father quickly wiped it away.
"I love you Lina."
"I love you too Daddy."
"Be good sweetheart."
"I will Daddy."
The Jedi held out his hand toward Lina. Lina looked at him hesitantly then at her father. Her father made a 'go on' gesture. Lina shrugged and took the Jedi's hand.
Lina walked with the Jedi toward the entrance of the temple. She only looked back once to see her father with his shoulders hunched and shaking with sobs.
Suddenly she broke away and ran to her father, hugging his knees. He only sobbed harder. Then Lina was sobbing too, the Jedi looked at the father and the father nodded. The Jedi picked Lina's small three year old body up and carried her to the entrance of the temple as she wailed, nose running, and cried out for her father. Her arms where reaching out to him. It was a devastating sight. Her cries stopped as the door swung closed, silencing her. The father then held the blanket close to him and walked down the steps full of loss and despair.
He feared he had made the wrong choice for his daughter, but now there was nothing to be done. His daughter was gone and there was no way for her to return to him. He was truly alone now. His wife dead for a few years now, and his daughter gone to live a better life than he could ever give her. There was nothing left to do but return to Mandalore, and hope his daughter was alright.