Chapter 1
Sera left the ordinary spaceship what carrried her and the other Jedi Ka'Len to this place.
They have landed at the edge of a small town. On this side of the planet it seemed to be morning. The young Jedi felt a little disappointed she couldn't fight in one of the many battles. So many Jedi were needed in this war and she was a passionate pilot, so why didn't they assign her some clone soldiers and sent here to a space combat?
Sera didn't shows her disappointment and lift one of the boxes they brought here.
This was called humanitarian aid. War came and left, took lifes and living space, tore families apart and made some people to heroes.
Sera sighed and acted like the reason for her sigh was the weight of the box.
And it seemed that recently Jedi were commandeered to bring some single towns somewhere in the galaxy some small presents of esteem.
Sure it was great to see the happy faces of the people who believed they where supported by the great republic.
But Sera asked herself if what she brought with her spaceship was really designed to help or mainly was a token gesture. Sometimes she felt so foolish and unknowing like a small kid.
This war sometimes blurred „good" and „evil" that much that Sera sometimes believed she was the „evil" herself. It appeared so often to her that people made it to easy for themselves about „good" and „evil". There were many systems who were getting along very well with their neutrality. All these systems should decide either to join the republic or separatists. Sera felt like all this war was about two little kids wo fought with another and were trying to pull other kids in their clash. And suddenly nobody knew anymore why they were fighting.
This war was senseless.
But more than all the many dead and casualties Sera was shocked about the many people who still supported this war with heart and soul.
That soldiers did it was clear to her. It was their duty and they were trained with it. Like everyone in the galaxy was something instilled into. She wasn't even better than they.
But she couldn't understand how someone could run after something this blindly without thinking. Never look left or right. It seemed so stupid to her.
But notwithstanding she carried the box into the small town and was accompanied with the Jedi Ka'Len with whom she has been on some missions like this.
Excited kids ran to her yelling, ran beside the Jedi and called their parents.
Many people assembled quickly around the two strangers and their presents.
Sera smiled at the kids, greeted them and was glad her Jedi companion introduced her and himself.
So this was the image what the two Jedi have to sell about the republic. No war, no soldiers anymore, just two peace keepers with a few presents for appeasement.
It wasn't hard for Sera to act like she were relaxed and in a good mood because of the positive reaction about their arrival. But it still had got a bitter aftertaste. The kids jumped excited around the young Jedi with the uncommon pink hair and marveled at her lightsabers.
A few strong volunteers were called together to carry the boxes out of the spaceship into the town. After around a hour it was done and the supply packages were evenly spread.
'Until the republic decides to build on planets like this standing armies again.' Sera thought but she suppressed the thought immediately. She wanted to concentrate on the happy faces again. Somehow she felt pradoxical. She would like to fight in this war and not to feel useless but on the other side the conditions for civilians disillustioned her.
She was torn.
What was more important now?
To end this war quickly with fighting at the frontline or with trying to give humanitarian aid as today?
Sera tried to divert and talked to the people, told the kids about her tasks as a Jedi and gave herself so much trouble to show them the image of the convident peace keeper.
But suddenly she was interrupted.
The mayor of this town wanted to welcome the two Jedi and so they followed the messenger who lead them to a huge official building at the end of a great plaza.
A small chubby but friendly looking man with grey-brown hair and vestment welcomed them with a smile.
„Ah! Jedi! I'm pleased you accept my invitation. I thank you and the republic in the name of this town from the bottom of our hearts for your presence and your noble presents!"
Sera smiled polite but inside all this talking was unpleasant to her.
Of course she knew how to be polite and diplomatic but she prefered to express her thoughts like they were. Even If she hasn't got many opportunities for it.
„Thank you very much, Mayor. The republic wants to express their sympathy and nobody shall be forgotten in these hard times. We are pleased to see how your people survived the battles from a few months ago and that the daily routine returns." the Jedi Ka'Len replied to the small man and bowed politely.
„You are welcomed guests! I would like to invite you to have your lunch with us. As a small sign of our gratefulness."
„Thanks, but we have to go yet." Sera said.
Ka'Len darted a critical glance at her.
„What she actually wanted to say, we stay here for meal OF COURSE."
Sera stared at him. „Well then...we stay."
So none new trainingssimulation today what she could have tried at the temple.
„Well mayor, we would like to look after the people again if you admit."
The two Jedi turned around and left the office.
„That was pretty tactless and disrespectful don't you think?" the huge Jedi-Knight asked her and Sera grumbled.
„Yes. Perhaps it was. Forgive me."
„Let's look if everything was spread fair."
They went through the hallway. The great door of the entrance was pushed open and a panicked young man bolt inside.
„HELP! HELP! They slaughter everyone! They'll kill us ALL!"
Ka'Len rescued the tripping man and looked at him concentrated.
„What? What happened?" Who is slaughtering whom?"
The eyes of the man widened and a invisible force lifted him up and threw him against the wall. Sera flinched.
What the hell happened now? A few minutes ago everything was peaceful.
What happened here? A riot? But...
The big entrance doors swung open and two frightening Zabraks with red glowing lightsabers appeared.
„Hello, Jedi. You're really roving about EVERYWHERE."
Sera wasn't braced for an encounter like this.
She froze a few seconds before she did as her companion and grasped her lightsabers.
The first Zabrak what entered the building was smaller than the one behind him.
His skin was red colored with frigthening black patterns and sharp yellow eyes stared at her.
Sera felt the force pulsing around him, she could feel the darkness what he radiated.
And the menace. The taller Zabrak got a yellow skin with dark-brown patterns and there was no doubt that this man with his muscular build could break someones bones easily.
Sera couldn't avert her gaze.
She feared a short unconcentrated moment could end deathly.
„Who are..."
„Darth Maul!" Ka'Len growled and interrupted the young Jedi.
„Darth Maul?" Sera lifted her eybrows shocked and in disbelief.
„But...Master Kenobi has..."
The red Zabrak smirked.
„As you can see, Jedi, Kenobi has apparently failed in the attempt to kill me."
Sera dared a quick sight to her companion.
She wasn't sure about If she still wants some fight anymore.
But these two have seemingly had slaughtered a whole town. They couldn't let get off.
Even so she felt fear rising. How should they win against two Sith?
Sera knew indeed that she shouldn't think like this but...she was frightened.
She didn't want to die now.
„Surrender, Sith!" Ka'Len spoke and raised the green luminating blade of his lightsaber.
The red Sith in front of them just smiled in an evil way.
„Savage..."
The tall Zabrak behind him growled and lifted his double lightsaber threatening.
„Get him."
Without any warning the yellow Zabrak jumped in a red swirl above the other and attacked Ka'Len. The Jedi immediately parried skilful the hard strokes.
Sera hesitated. Who to attack first?
The Sith Darth Maul who, she noticed it discontented, frightened her just because of the fact he seemingly had survived unscathed. What was this man capable of?
But she hadn't much time to think about it because this one struck with his saber at her.
Sera parried with her two lightsabers and hit for the Sith who avoided light-fooded.
„Sera!" Ka'Len shouted who was in a dangerous duell with the yellow Zabrak.
„We have to save the mayor! These two criminals must not get him, too!"
Damned. The mayor was the last survivor.
Sera was rapt in thought for a moment how she could bring the man the best way out of here, the red blade swang down to her and Sera could barely stop it with one of her sabers in front of her face. But the sith pressed her and her saber down more and more, no chance to bash it to the side, the Zabrak has got too much strength.
Her muscles would cave in at this attempt and she would cut herself with her own blade.
Sera compressed her teeth, tried to get some strong position.
Then she heared a groaning.
The yellow Zabrak has choked the Jedi with the force and lifted him up.
Sera turned around clockwise and directed the blade of her oppponent past her side.
But he reacted and kicked her legs away.
Sera hit the ground hard and gasped, but immediately rolled to the side to not get seperated through the lightsaber.
Ka'Len was thrown to the wall. He slumped down on the ground.
No. This couldn't be. Was he knocked out? His head seemed to was hit at one of the pillars. He didn't move but Sera felt he wasn't dead.
She pulled herself together and stood in front of the two Sith.
Has the time to die have come?
„What's the matter, Jedi?" the red-skinned Zabrak asked her provocative and pose straight.
„Don't you want to attack us and revenge your Jedi-Friend? Or do you have fear?"
The word „fear" was spoken by him that long long-winded that a cold shiver ran down her spine. Her heart was throbbing quickly in her chest because of the adrenalin rush.
„No Sith...I'm just weighing the odds."
She didn't knew why she answered him but she prefered to extend the last minutes of her life.
„A freethinker among the Jedi? You're weighing the odds you have to survive?"
The Zabrak showed an awful smile on his face.
„The most Jedi I met would dive to their Jedi-Friend, look how he's doing and try to rescue him AND the mayor like it just would be done by fools. But you...are thinking of your own survival? Isn't that selfish and against the principles of the Jedi?"
Sera hesitated. Her arms began to shiver and she didn't understood why at all.
And yes. It really WAS selfish.
But was it really helpful if she fights against an enemy she couldn't win against and everyone herself included would die?
The Sith started to look at her squinny.
„Something's wrong with her, what do you think, Savage?"
The one who was called 'Savage' growled and answered with the deepest voice Sera had ever heard: „For me she looks like the rest of this Jedi scum brother."
„No, no Savage." replied the alleged brother of this yellow monster with a calm voice.
Sera didn't felt well about being the topic of the conversation of two Sith.
But she had no other choice to stand still and being aware.
„She isn't that...blinded like all the other Jedi. She seems to question all the things what are forced on her. She tries to hide it but I can sense it...her fear...her doubts...isn't it, Jedi?"
He looked at her and Sera's got much trouble not to run away.
But she was no coward. Usually not.
She tried to ignore the words of the sith, to not allow them to hit her inside.
„I...don't fear you. I believe you won't be undetected long at all. The whole galaxy will hunt you and bag you. And then...you'll STAY dead."
The Zabrak laughed. Sera began to become more and more nervous the more this Sith seemed to become relaxed.
„Who do you want to fool, Jedi? I can feel your fear. You fear me, you fear to die. You fear to remain a marionette of the Jedi. You fear yourself...and your feelings."
That hit home. Sera shrank a step away. How the Hell could this Sith look into her? She had tried her best not to show it, to hide it all. All these doubts, the frustration.
And this Sith has needed only a few minutes to see through her?
„What are you up to now...will you kill me?"
The smile on the Zabrak's face disappeared.
„It depends on you, Jedi. We want the mayor. Let us through and you can flee."
„And how do I know you won't kill me after all?"
Savage growled.
„You'll never know..."
The two Zabraks went toward her.
Sera's heart was beating so hard in her chest it hurts. Now. Now she would die.
For sure. Why would they make an exception?
And that was it? That was her life? An unsatisfying apposition of years spent with deprivations, duty and obedience, silenve and giving up the own individuality?
Sera deactivated her lightsabers and hold her breath as the Sith were one meter in front of her. Now. Soon. Death.
But nothing happened. The Zabraks passed her by without harming her.
Sera was totally confused and turned after them as if she wanted to shout 'Hey! I'm still alive!'. When passing by Maul looked in her eyes a last time. These yellow sharp pupils with the red like flames looking edges were burned into her mind.
„You've made the first step into the right direction, young Jedi. And now...get lost!"
Sera stood there unbelieving, but put herself together and wanted to run to Ka'Len to take him with her then the point of the red double lightsaber sank down into the Jedi's chest.
Sera opened her mouth to a silent scream. She felt the life of Ka'Len was fading away and disappeared.
The tall Zabrak with the name Savage glanced at her and Sera knew she wouldn't get a second chance. She ran out of the building, past the sea of corpses to her spaceship.
How unreal everything was. A hour ago everything was so lively. She could even see the liveless bodies of the kids she told about the Jedi Order. But she couldn't stop running.
A short moment she thought of heading back and to attack the two Sith in her anger about all the dead but she discarded the thought immediately.
Her survival instinct was stronger.
