Disclaimer: I do not own the universe of Star Wars or any of its characters. I only own the original characters featured in this story.
"Hello? Can you hear me? Lannera, are you even listening to what I'm saying?" A masculine voice called out. The man waited a mere moment hoping that his friend would respond. After several seconds, he released a frustrated sigh - it was so annoying whenever someone didn't pay attention to you.
"Lannera!" They snapped, their voice laced with aggravation. The auburn-haired girl peered up, her emerald green eyes blinking rapidly in confusion. She looked around for a second and took in her surroundings, realizing that they were in the diner right by her workplace. Clearing her throat, Lannera spoke after what had felt like a century.
"I… I apologize. I must have zoned out…" She stammered, her freckled face turning a deep shade of red. "Erek, I'm awfully sorry. I didn't mean to ignore you…"
"It's alright, Lannera. I just wanted to be sure you were okay. You haven't been talking very much as of lately…" He trailed off, the concern for his dear friend growing. Erek had noticed Lannera's outlandish behavior for over a week now and he felt as if her mind was always elsewhere. It hadn't always been like this between the two, seeing as Erek and her were extremely close friends. The duo did everything together and they even lived and worked with one another! Erek had even been the one who helped her move up in levels and escape the horrid underworld of the Galactic City.
Despite being such close friends with Lannera, Erek had no clue that the girl had a valid excuse for her recent behavior. Thoughts, memories, dreams, and nightmares plagued her mind and judgment. She couldn't tell Erek everything about her past and she most definitely couldn't tell him everything going on in her head. In simple terms, her private life was not any of his business. In order to not worry her closest and only friend, the young girl decided to give a little white lie.
"I'm alright… I think I just want to go home and rest my head. I'm not really feeling well..." She mumbled, gathering her belongings so they could leave the diner.
"Well… Okay then, Lany. Here, let me help carry your stuff for you." Erek said softly, reaching over the table and towards his friend to grab her bag. As Erek's scarred hands grew closer to Lannera, she reeled back in annoyance. The young girl snatched her bag away from the boy and held it close to her chest. A frustrated look was plastered across her pale face as she wondered why her friend felt the need to be such a white knight so often.
"I can carry my own belongings, Erek." She snapped harshly, standing up from the diner booth hastily. Lannera threw her heavy, black coat on and slipped the bag over her shoulder before walking forward, not wanting to entertain Erek's pestering behavior any longer.
Erek stood in shock. He simply stared at the auburn-haired girl with a puzzled expression. What had gotten into her? She had never acted this rude to him for as long as they were friends… And before he could process Lannera's behavior any further, the girl was already out of the small diner and hurriedly walking back towards home. The young man shook his head in frustration before running to the front counter and paying for their meal. All Erek could do was catch up to his friend and hope she didn't bite his head off again.
It didn't take long for Erek to catch up with Lannera and when he did, she sighed gently. Why couldn't her friend understand that she just wanted to be alone? It wasn't in her nature to be mean or rude so she did her best to remain quiet; Erek was aggravating at times but he didn't deserve to get scorned for being overly compassionate.
The walk home was dreadful, bothersome, and upsetting. Honestly, it was anything but decent. Lannera was ecstatic that Erek did not bother her with his limitless questions, but she was forced to process her feelings in the uncomfortable silence. While walking in solace, Lannera did realize that she missed the underworld. She missed it only for her mother, however; the precious, gentle, and compassionate mother she had to leave behind to have a chance at a better life.
The older woman had told her daughter to run away and never look back. She wanted her only child to live the greatest life possible and that simply wasn't a possibility in the lowest levels of the Galactic City. So, she saved up all the credits humanly possible and gave her little girl a chance at something that wasn't a totally miserable life. Lannera regretted leaving her mother behind to fend for herself but she knew deep inside that it was the right choice. This fact still didn't rid her of the guilty conscience that she was now forced to live with.
Over half an hour had passed and the two friends were finally back home, walking inside just as the darkness had taken over the day. The young girl didn't say a word to Erek as she entered through the small door, still upset with him after the diner incident. With a quick toss, she threw her bag on the outside of her door before scampering away into her quiet and secluded bedroom.
Lannera instinctively plopped onto the squeaky bed she had grown to love, sighing softly in anguish. She needed to be alone right now - away from her co-workers, away from Erek, away from any human or alien in general, because if she wasn't alone, then she wouldn't be able to do what helped ease her pain.
Lannera reached over to the side of her bed and after a second or two of struggling pulled out a small tin wedged against the grimy and cracked wall. She sat the tin atop her comforter and flipped it open, revealing inside a vast amount of thin, clear tubes, all filled with red and yellow fluid. Erek didn't know about her addiction and she would definitely keep it that way; what she did in her free time was nobody's business but her own.
Unable to take the pain of her wretched thoughts any longer, Lannera snatched a red tube out of the container and opened it, chugging the liquid without further delay. She tossed the empty vial in the metal box before closing it and returning it to its original spot, hidden between the bed and the wall for nobody to find.
It didn't take long before the drug affected the young girl, a smile coming to her face as she finally felt at peace with life. Lannera felt lively, everything was brighter, and things were just all around serene. She knew death sticks were a bad habit and that they chipped away at one's lifespan, but when life doesn't offer you anything to strive for, what did she have to lose? She had no friends, no family. She had a horrible job working in a shop along with her nosy and overbearing friend. To be frank, Lannera had nothing in life worth living for.
The high eventually faded away, much to Lannera's dismay. By the time this happened, she had already been lying down for several hours, cuddled beneath blankets and pillows in an attempt to console herself from the unpleasant life in which she lived.
Not wanting to dwell on her negative thoughts any longer, the girl hopped out of bed and decided to find some fresh clothes to wear. Lannera undressed quickly, taking off her usual long, loose-fitting dress and coat. A glance in the mirror made her cringe. She was physically unable to cope with the look of her naked body reflecting back at her. She had various scars - both small and large, thin and wide - littered across her torso and thighs, a sight that she had always hidden by wearing longer and more modest outfits.
The young girl turned away from the mirror, unable to look at herself any longer. Ignoring the disgusting feeling that swelled within her, she retreated to the pile of clothes in the corner of her dark room instead, trying to find an outfit for a night on the town. Lannera eventually settled on a slightly shorter than normal black dress with a minimalist look. Once dressed, she hesitantly took a peek at the mirror and gave a genuine, crooked smile. She always thought she was much prettier with all her scars covered.
Lannera grabbed a thin grey sweater to cover her bare shoulders before turning off the light in her room and exiting. She grabbed her bag off of the floor as silently as possible, beginning the trek of tip-toeing to the door so she could depart her and Erek's shamefully small home. She had to be sure not to step on a creaky floorboard as it was already so late at night. The last thing she wanted to do was to wake Erek and have to explain where she was going at such a late hour. Even if he did see her leaving he didn't need to know her given location at any time of the day or night. She was seventeen years old, about to be eighteen, and she could take care of herself.
Walking outdoors felt as if Lannera had been replenished with life. The inside of her home was always so muggy, but outside - even with Coruscant being a crowded planet - it was so much more refreshing.
Lannera decided to call for a taxi and travel to the entertainment district. She wasn't much of a party animal and she didn't drink an immense amount, she just loved walking around amidst the bright and beautiful lights of the Galactic City. Of course, she did enjoy grabbing a drink or two to wind-down and relieve her constant stress.
The taxi arrived quickly and picked up Lannera, taking her to her destination which was only a short walk away from the Outlander Club. She frequented the establishment several times every fortnight and it was the most common location for her to purchase death sticks. Tonight though, only drinks would be in order. She was good on death sticks for several more weeks.
Lannera paid the taxi driver the required credits and exited his speeder, beginning her walk towards the club. The click of her heels hit the cement ground and she smiled happily for once. She loved the thought of looking and feeling good, especially since it was such an uncommon feeling for her to possess.
The club now in her distant vision, Lannera grinned cheesily. She could already hear the loud music and was eager to get to the bar and drink a shot or two, all while listening to the live band and laughing at the people gambling their money away.
Lannera was just nearing the club when she suddenly heard thundering footsteps from behind. Curious as to what the commotion was, she turned her head to catch a glimpse but was unexpectedly shoved to the ground. The delicate girl yelped in pain as her head took a hard hit to the pavement. Moaning in soreness, Lannera pressed her small hands against her skull, rubbing in an attempt to ignore the discomfort.
Doing her best to overlook the stars in her blurry vision, Lannera looked up from the ground and spotted two individuals running towards the club, one entering and the other now standing outside bewildered. It was a young man dressed in dark robes, frustration displayed across his face.
With great caution and patience, Lannera finally began to stand up. It was a balancing act with a nearby garbage can but the young girl eventually managed. Stars still clouded her vision and a sharp pain radiated through her head, but Lannera gathered her composure and began the nerve-wracking trek to confront the man responsible for hurting her. Once actually near him, however, all confidence fled Lannera. She could be such a baby sometimes, a trait she had always despised about herself.
"H-Hello?" She reluctantly murmured, unsure of how to go about the unwanted encounter. Gaining more confidence, Lannera decided to speak louder.
"Excuse me, man that knocked me over. I-I'm speaking to you." The wide-eyed girl said, walking a tad bit closer towards the individual. Surely enough, Lannera had finally caught the man's attention. His face turned to look at her and he possessed a clueless expression, almost as if he didn't even realize he had just run the girl down.
"I beg your pardon?" He responded gently, his entire body and attention now towards her. Lannera's heart skipped a beat when she focused on his face, not realizing just how handsome the man was. She suddenly grew shy, her face turning a soft shade of red.
"J-Just now…" She stammered, glancing at the ground in embarrassment. "You and someone else were running and you knocked me over rather harshly. I feel as if you should apologize to me… It hurt an awful lot." Lannera continued, her voice timid yet courageous. She wrung her small hands together in nervousness, unsure of how the perpetrator would respond back. The man was clothed in clean, dark robes and he did seem quite kind, but this was the lower levels of the Uscru district. Not everyone who dwelled here possessed good intentions.
"Oh…" He began, a crooked smile forming on his tan face. "Well, I apol-" The man's words were cut short as another individual came shouting before the two.
"Anakin!" The individual exclaimed, gaining the handsome, young man's attention. This person was a slightly older gentleman, clearly a friend of the Anakin fellow. He too was dressed in nice clothing and didn't seem like the average Uscru district inhabitant. Scanning the friend of Anakin further, Lannera noticed that his long, light-brown hair was windswept and his breathing was rather heavy. Lannera sighed to herself, wondering why everyone was in such a damned hurry tonight.
"She went into the club, master." Anakin responded dutifully, his back straightening up. An intense form of politeness swept over the boy and Lannera grew curious of the change in demeanor. When the boy called his friend master, she grew even more eager to figure out who the men were. Were they Jedi? That would certainly explain their robes and the use of the word master.
"Patience. Use the force. Think." The boy's master said in a reassuring tone. Lannera felt accomplished that her assumption was correct - the two really were Jedi. She didn't know of anyone else who would just casually use the force, so it was safe to assume they belonged to the Jedi Order.
However, if what was happening was truly Jedi business, Lannera was better off not being involved. She began to back away from the two, her heels clicking softly against the ground in retreat. She had no desire to get tangled in such serious and dangerous matters so it was for the best that she left.
Walking away, the young girl continued to hear Anakin talk to his master regarding a variety of things. She sighed to herself. Lannera desperately wished she could have heard the rest of the mysterious and handsome man's apology.
As Lannera walked away into the crowd of humans and aliens alike, Anakin peered back, catching a glimpse of the short and sweet girl before she disappeared amongst the throng of people. He frowned sadly at the sight.
Anakin had felt like a lousy Jedi for knocking over such an innocent and helpless girl. He felt even worse for actually hurting her in the incident! Truthfully, he wanted to apologize. Unfortunately for him though, he was interrupted by his master due to their current task.
Accompanying Obi-Wan into the club, all Anakin could do was put faith into the force that he would be able to have the pleasure of meeting the auburn-haired beauty once more.
A/N: Hello! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my fanfiction, The Changing Sun of Coruscant. I am so eager to share the journey of Lannera Damaris with you all and I especially cannot wait to share the story of Lannera and Anakin. I hope my OC is likable and interesting enough. The first chapter may have been a little slow with revealing her backstory but I have lots planned for her in future chapters.
This is my first published fanfiction so please no flames. Constructive criticism, as well as reviews, are very much welcome! I want to hear feedback so that I can make this story as wonderful as possible for you all. Thank you for reading and I hope you are looking forward to the next chapter.