AN: Hello! This is my first attempt at a fanfic or any kind of published creative writing. I've been reading stories on here for a while, and as this is one of my favorite franchises, I'm excited to share my story with you. I have the broad outline of the story in my head. It will follow canon to some degree, but my main character will be an OC. Eventually, this will evolve into an Obi-Wan/OC and Anakin/Padmé story. I'm still debating whether to leave canon and end the tale without killing Padmé and leaving Anakin to the dark side, or to continue on. I'm going to wait and see how long it gets. I've written the first several chapters, and I will admit it starts off slow, but bear with me, I promise there will be action. The rating is for later chapters. Reviews are appreciated; please be kind as this is my first attempt. Constructive criticism is always welcome. I still don't have the hang of the website, so if I make any glaring errors, please let me know! I hope you enjoy the story, and May the Force Be With You. ;) -Emma
PROLOGUE & CHAPTER 1:
The nurse didn't understand how a baby girl could have no mother or father. Biologically, it was not possible, and yet the girl had appeared in front of her eyes out of thin air. She supposed the girl could have been transported here by some means she hadn't heard of, but why to her? Baiti was a nurse living on the outskirts of the small town she provided her services for. She had been reading her nightly holo-paper and a strong silvery glow had filled the air in front of her sitting chair, causing her to spill her tea with surprise. When it faded, there lay the child, a baby girl wrapped in a grey blanket. She judged the child to be barely a month old.
The girl was calm, peaceful considering the bright light and commotion. Her bright emerald eyes peered up at Baiti with curiosity. Baiti checked the child over for injuries, and gasped with her discovery. On both of the girl's inside forearms, there shone a violent red-silver mark in the shape of a burst. A solid point at the center with jutting rays in all directions extending to all distances. Baiti tended to the marks, for they looked fresh and ripe for infection. She wondered about their existence as she wrapped the child's arms. They were clearly not tattoos, for no body artist she knew would consent to tattoo a newborn baby. However, the marks were fresh, and that in itself was disturbing. She clearly hadn't been born with them. Besides the marks, the girl was very much normal. She was clearly human, which was rare for the planet of Janulik. Most humans came from the inner regions to the small, outer rim planet. Baiti lived in a modest house on the outskirts of the small town of Creuset. She herself was a Januvian, a human-like biped, but green in skincolor, and with four arms.
Baiti could never describe what drove her to care for the child in those first months, for she could have easily placed her in an orphanage. The poor child's trusting eyes combined with Baiti's caregiving nature as a nurse made her change her mind. However, there was something else, something telling her to treat the child as her own, a force from within staying her hand and telling her to care for the baby for as long as she could. And so she did.
—Sixteen Years Later—
Charlotte Altair was a young woman of sixteen. She'd grown up from the child that appeared in Baiti's house on that fateful day, to become a beautiful girl, with long dark wavy hair and sharp emerald eyes. Currently, she was on her way home from the market, a rucksack thrown over her shoulder. She stopped for a moment, spotting a flower on the side of the road that struck her as being the most captivating color she'd ever seen. It was blue-green, like the ocean Aunt Baiti and Uncle Rylen would take her and her cousin to every summer. She stared at the flower, wanting desperately to pick it and bring it home, but she respected its life too much. It had been like that for all living creatures for as long as she could remember. She could cook and eat meat as long as she wasn't responsible for taking the animal's life. The girl sighed, stroked the velvety soft petals one last time, and stood up to head for home.
She walked the rest of the way home, her hair whipped back by the wind to form a long cape. She shifted her rucksack to the other shoulder; it was heavier after walking a mile. It held some food staples; bread, dried meats and fruit; but also a small piece of a droid a grateful shop owner had given her to tinker with. Charlie had always had a knack for droids and would excitedly make her way into town anytime a ship or a speeder came by, hoping to be given a tour or even to get a glance. She had an inexplicable interest in these things. She smiled, remembering a speeder ride she'd been given as a special treat by a trader who seemed to take a particular liking to her. It was an experience she treasured. The wind whipping through her hair, the speed... it had been like flying.
She shook her head, trying to clear the memory, and sped up her steps a little. It was her sixteenth birthday, and she wanted to get back to the modest little house she shared with her Aunt Baiti, Uncle Rylen, and her cousin Amaris. She shared their last name, Altair, but she wasn't their biological child, or even their biological niece. She'd grown up calling them Aunt and Uncle, and treating Amaris as a sister. They hadn't shared with her until her previous birthday the exact circumstances of how she'd come to be with her aunt. The story confused her, as there seemed to be no answer to the question of if she even had parents, much less who her they were. But either way, something in her told her they were long gone, and never coming back. She chose to forget. It was easy because she'd never known them, and wasn't even sure of their existence. Her adoptive aunt and uncle had always been like a mother and father. they'd filled the role marvelously. Still, she had her moments of weakness where she wished for some clue as to where she'd come from. She carried the question with her, hoping one day she'd get a chance to find out. For now, though, she was simply grateful for the family she had. She shook her head again as she walked up their front path. It wouldn't do to dwell on such dark thoughts on her birthday.
"Aunt Baiti, Amaris, Uncle Rylen; I'm home!" Charlie called out to the small house, as she opened the front door. Amaris came running from the backyard to greet her, her shiny black hair flying, reaching out her four arms for a hug. Charlie also understood that she was different from the Januvians that populated the town she lived in. She had been told that she was human and they were not, but the people were so kind that it had never phased her. Since she'd grown up with a population of Januvians, they didn't look so strange to her as to an outsider. Sometimes, every now and then, a new nomadic trader would come through and look at her, askance and wondering were she'd come from. She'd had learned to not bow her head in shame. She belonged her as much as they did, and wasn't going to let them look down on her. She would simply scowl in return.
"Oof!" Charlie let out a breath when Amaris jumped on her. The little girl was but six years old, the biological child of her aunt and uncle. Charlie loved her with all of her heart, and treated her as a true sister. Amaris, not old enough to understand the truth, returned the affection for now. But Charlie worried about the girl's reaction the day she found out that there was no blood relation between the two girls.
"Charlie, Charlie, come to the kitchen! Mommy and Papa have your present!" Amaris grabbed her hand and dragged her in to where her aunt and uncle were making dinner over the fire. A small wrapped package sat on top of one of the cabinets.
"Now now, Amaris," Aunt Baiti said with a smile, "let us put away what Charlie has brought back from the market and let Papa serve supper, yes?"
Mere minutes later they were sitting down to a hearty supper of stew and bread.
"No problems at the market, Charlie?" her aunt asked as they ate. She knew well enough that Charlie enjoyed her visits into town, but was nonetheless worried for her safety.
Charlie shook her head, saying "Francie was very generous with the food, as you saw. It wasn't very crowded though. I had time to stop by Balkim's stall and help him with his astromech droid. He game me a part of a ZZ model droid that I've been looking for. We'll see what I can do with it." Her aunt and uncle had long put up with Charlie's fascination with droids, and both simply smiled and nodded.
"Did you happen to see Fouria?" her uncle asked. "I've been hearing rumors that his wife is sick."
Charlie shook her head yet again, a worried expression on her face. Fouria was a friend of her uncle's; the two men worked together. It was bad news to hear that his wife, a very nice woman, might be sick.
Her uncle sighed, saying "No matter. I'll see him tomorrow."
As they finished their suppers, the table made small talk. Charlie had finished what formal schooling the small town offered her the year before. Amaris was in her second year, and spoke excitedly about the simple mathematics her class had been doing that day. Together, the small family cleared the table and made way for honey cakes and cream, a special treat on birthdays and holidays. As they enjoyed their dessert, her aunt handed her the small wrapped package she'd seen earlier. Amaris was practically vibrating with excitement; presents came few and far between in their household. Charlie unwrapped it carefully, now able to tell that it was a box. She noticed with some detachment that her hands were shaking slightly. The paper came away to reveal the box she had expected, made of a rough wood. She opened it, gasping at what she saw inside.
There, resting on a soft cushion, were a pair of earrings and a large crystal with a chain through it. The earrings were not identical, but both were made out of a sturdy silver metal. One was a crescent moon, the other a five pointed star. The necklace was a simple metal chain with a silver crystal about the size of her thumb on the end. She held the crystal in one hand, slipping the chain over her head with the other. It was long enough that the crystal came to rest at the bottom of her ribcage. It was heavy, but not terribly so, and it seemed to give off an inner light that made its color sparkle like mad.
"Aunt Baiti, Uncle Rylen, they're beautiful." she said softly. "Thank you so much." She put the earrings in, having gotten her ears pierced in a rather traumatic experience a few years earlier. Her aunt retrieved the handheld mirror they kept in the house, and Charlie admired the way the sunset caught on their somewhat reflective metal. She looked up at her family, realizing that her eyes were a little misty. Her aunt and uncle were smiling softly at her.
"You look beautiful." Amaris said emphatically. The little girl's big blue eyes were wide as she reached to touch the crystal. "What is it, Mommy?"
Aunt Baiti smiled. "I was passing a jewelry vendor when the traders came through last month, and it called to me. I would never have been able to find it without the strange compulsion it gave me. I've learned to listen to the nudges fate seems to give. Anyways, I knew Charlie's birthday was coming up, and I thought she deserved something special." She smiled warmly at Charlie. "The earrings your uncle made, with help from Fouria."
Charlie got up and hugged them both, saying "I'll be sure to thank Fouria the next time I see him. Uncle, they're stunning." She sat back down, taking a moment to wipe under her eyes. Compassion and love was something that she would never take for granted. Knowing that her family didn't have to take her in made her well aware of just how lucky she was.
They enjoyed some small talk as the sun finally sunk below the horizon. Not a half hour after sunset, Charlie saw Amaris' eyes start to droop until the child had fallen asleep at the table. Smiling lightly, Charlie scooped her up and carried her to her room upstairs. She heard her aunt and uncle put away the last of the dishes and trash, and blow out the candles before following her. She deposited Amaris in her bed, tucking her girl in and giving her a kiss on the forehead. A soft "Goodnight" was said from the doorway before Charlie closed it behind her with a soft snick.
She turned to face her aunt and uncle, who'd just climbed the stairs. "She's out." Charlie said to them. They responded with their goodnights, and Charlie entered her own room, shutting the door softly behind her. The moon's soft light spilled in through her window, lighting the room enough for her to moved around with confidence. Before changing, Charlie had to rewrap her forearms. She'd had her burst marks since she was born. Her aunt told her that it didn't look like she'd born with them, and that they looked fresh the day she'd appeared in front of her aunt. The marks were the same steady silver that they'd always been, sparkling in the moon's light. Sometimes, Charlie would notice them become tinged with green or blue or black. She'd noticed a pattern between the color and the particular strong emotion she was feeling at the time, and eventually, the colors became less strange to her.
She kept them wrapped to avoid people looking. They were slightly raised, and they'd actually grown with her arms, so they were large enough to attract attention when she wore short sleeves. She also kept them covered out of habit. She couldn't remember once that she'd gone out without her forearms wrapped, and she wasn't about to start now. She couldn't explain them, so she hid them to avoid questions in the first place. The wraps dirtied throughout the day, so she changed them each night. Expertly, she rewrapped and tied off each arm under the moon's watchful gaze.
Charlie shrugged into a loose nightshirt and leggings before slipping the crystal underneath her shirt for safekeeping. She'd felt something when she first held it, some sort of happy nudge, like a warm hand across the back of her neck, and felt the same now. The feeling should have worried her, but she had an understanding deep inside her mind that it wasn't malicious, and that she should trust it. It made her feel safe and protected, so she shrugged and released it for the night. She settled down under her blankets for a restful night of sleep.
(Dreams are in italics)
The room was black, cavernous, and cold. Charlie stepped inside, her bare feet making no sound on the metal floor. She shivered, aware of a breeze and another presence in the room with her, cold and unforgiving. The whole room seemed to vibrate with a malevolent feeling, penetrating her mind and causing fear to course through her veins. For a dream, the sensation was so real. She took a few deeps breaths before taking other step forward. She stopped again. The bad feeling had gotten stronger, and now she could tell it was coming strongly from a being not too far in front of her, but also from the room itself. She shivered again. She felt surrounded by evil. It was the same way she could feel the protectiveness of the crystal. She wondered at it, realizing her dream-self still had the crystal, and grabbed for it, taking solace in the comforting nudge.
"Hello?" She called out questioningly. She took a couple more steps forward. She felt out with her feet before each step, wanting to not trip down steps or miss a giant hole in the floor. It was dark enough that she wouldn't be able to see it until she'd fallen. She also felt out with her mind, trying to track down the being she was sure was there with whatever she could feel. She was not confident, but something within her was again driving her actions. She reached out with what she pictured to be a tendril of her mind, far enough that she hit something. It was a wall or a shield, as solid as if she'd hit a real wall or shield, and she felt the being behind it recoil. She pulled back, unsure of this power she seemed to have, and afraid of the being. Even that simple touch had given her a heart-stopping glimpse of the evil within the being's mind. Her heart went cold.
"I know you're here." Her voice sounded small and tinny even to her. She could hear her fear, despite the calming sensation of the crystal, and wondered if the being could see her mind in return. "I can feel you with my mind… I think." She wanted the being to talk. She continued moving forward slowly, feeling out using both her body and mind. She continually reminded herself that this was a dream, and the old saying goes that you can't die in your dream. That gave her confidence to keep moving. "You feel so real," she called out, voicing what her mind was telling her, "but this is a dream, so you can't be." With the help of the crystal, and safe in her knowledge that this was a dream, the fear started to recede substantially, allowing her to take in her surroundings more calmly.
After she'd been walking for no more than a few minutes, she started to see a faint light in the background. She stopped to let her eyes adjust, hoping to see the being she could feel. She tried to voice the feeling it had. Bad, evil, wrong. No, none of those worked. Turned. Yes, the being felt turned. She supposed that had to mean it had once been good, but she couldn't feel or see the slightest bit of light in this dark creature. She gasped suddenly, realizing she could see the outline of a broad, tall figure. It was menacing in its height, and she felt her cold heart start to race. "Run!" her brain said, "Flee!" But she did neither.
"I see you." she said instead, out loud, and with more confidence than she really felt.
She reached out again with her mind, feeling for the resistance she'd felt earlier. She wanted to know as much as she could about this being before she awoke. She could sense that it was male, and for the moment, wasn't acknowledging her demand for a response. She ran into the same resistance she had before. She touched it with her tendril of mind, hesitantly at first, and then with more confidence as it didn't react or recoil as before. But then it did. It slammed her back into her head, as sharp as a knife and with as much force as a hammer blow. The pain was incredible. She'd never felt anything like it in her life. It tore a scream from her throat and tears from her eyes. She let go of the crystal and grabbed her head. It felt like her skull was being split in two.
She sank to her knees, now silently screaming to the ceiling for the intense pain and lack of air. She couldn't see, she couldn't breathe, she couldn't move. Her hands still enclosed her head as she tried to retreat from the being that was causing her pain, but she couldn't get far enough away. She couldn't escape. The pain was going to kill her. In the very back of her mind, it occurred to her again that this was too real of an experience to be a dream. The tendril in her mind slowly started the withdraw. It was almost as if there was actually an ice pick in her head. She sucked in a deep breath, seeing spots and feeling very weak and stupid for not leaving when she'd had the chance. She was still unable to move.
The pain retreated slowly with the withdrawn ice pick. She suspected later that if it hadn't begun to fade when it did, she would have died, again cementing that this was no dream. The being pulled out like rusty nail, taking its time and causing as much pain as it could, as if to show her it had all the power. She laid there, panting, trembling, unable to understand how this could happen in a dream. She cursed herself for being overconfident and trusting whatever mind trick she'd been able to do. When she finally opened her eyes again, she gasped. Right above her, with eyes black as night, was an older looking man with a white beard. His lips were pulled back in a snarl, and she could see his pointed white teeth. He regarded her with a cruelty that sent a wave of cold through her limbs. The man looked as if it could kill her with no remorse.
"I see you." he said with a hiss. And with a wave of his hand, she passed out.
(End of dream)