Prologue
Ashes. Smoke. Screams of panic. The aftermath of invasion was everywhere. Buildings which had only a few hours ago been seen as symbols of power and hope now lay in ruin. The Sith had taken Coruscant. The Jedi Temple itself was now little more than a smoldering tomb. The same could be said of many of the politicians' residences. Beautiful penthouses were now stained with the blood of their owners. Still, a few stragglers remained hiding in the rubble, waiting for the Sith to disperse before attempting an escape.
Among them was a young girl, no more than nine years old. She had lived in one of the towers with her mother and brother, although most of the attention she received had been from servants. She barely knew her father, as he had been killed several years ago serving in the war. And now her mother was unlikely to ever return from the Senate Tower. Though the woman had been one of the few senators who were willing to cooperate with the Empire, that would not be enough to spare her. Anyone on this planet was a target, regardless of background. Even the servants had been taken or murdered; if not for the two young Jedi Knights who had arrived just in time, the girl would certainly be gone as well. The only reason she had avoided capture in the first place was because the troopers had assumed her dead after striking her with the end of a blaster rifle as she tried to escape. The fate of her brother was unknown, though his body was not among those in the apartment.
Despite having been rescued by the Jedi, the threat was far from over. While the skirmishes had mostly subsided, several Sith and their troopers remained to search for anything of importance or value. This concerned the Jedi, but they knew it would be foolish for the two of them to take on a Sith assault team, especially with the girl to look after. Instead, they decided to remain in the apartment until the level was abandoned. It seemed safe enough, yet they remained alert in case the Sith sensed their presence.
But it was already too late. A small group of Sith was specifically hunting Force-sensitive survivors, and they had detected the Jedi. It was only a matter of minutes before they broke through the sealed door, lightabers ignited. The Jedi immediately reached for their own weapons, one of them pushing the girl behind him. The leader of the Sith simply laughed.
"What do you think you're going to accomplish?" he mocked, stepping closer and casually waving his blood-red blade. "You'll be slaughtered in a matter of minutes, along with that pathetic child."
"Maybe we will be," the first Jedi responded calmly, with only a hint of suppressed fear in his eyes. "But don't expect to walk away without your own losses."
This only caused the Sith Lord to laugh again. "You have spirit," he commented. "If not for the delusions inflicted upon you by your foolish masters you may have made a decent Sith. At least you'll provide some amusement…"
"Enough!" the other Jedi interrupted; her voice emotionless but firm. "Let the child go, she won't survive long out there anyway."
"Ah, then why postpone the inevitable?" The Sith replied condescendingly. "Now let's stop wasting time."
In a split second the hum and clash of lightsabers filled the room. The Sith clearly had the advantage, but the Jedi would not go quietly. The first Jedi managed to decapitate one of the lesser Sith and wound another before falling at the hand of the leader. The second Jedi only managed to inflict minor wounds, but she held her own before she too was defeated.
The Sith Lord ignored his own fallen companion; instead his attention was focused on the child, whose life was now in his hands. He would have Force-choked her without a second thought had he not been interrupted.
"Wait!" demanded a Pureblood woman, stepping forward. "Do you even know what you're doing?"
"What is this?" the Sith Lord asked, clearly angered at having been questioned. "Lord Akaria showing mercy?"
"Mercy?" the Pureblood, Akaria, scoffed. "No, Lord Nemilos. Mercy would be to let you give her the quick, easy death you wish to. But can't you sense her power, her potential? She will decide her own fate. If she proves strong at the academy she will earn her right to live. But…" she continued casually, "If she is weak or unwilling to submit, then she will suffer death by her own failure."
"Very well," Lord Nemilos bitterly conceded. "But you will be held solely responsible for any difficulties she may cause."
"Of course," Akaria responded, unconcerned. Turning back to the child she spoke sternly again. "Come," she demanded. "And don't make me regret this."
That had been ten years ago. After the invasion Akaria had taken the girl, whose name she discovered was Zaeyra, to Korriban for basic training. Reluctant at first, Zaeyra had learned to kill, learned to survive, and learned to succeed. She had progressed quickly through her training, surpassing many of her fellow acolytes and thoroughly impressing her masters. Now, nearly a decade after her capture, she had proven herself a deadly opponent. Having just returned from her most dangerous mission yet, the overseers of the academy had deemed her worthy to face the trials. Now, as she stepped off the shuttle, she was filled with confidence and ready to face whatever awaited her. Ready to take on the galaxy.