Jedi Rising
1_ The Crazy Shopkeeper

It was raining in the marketplace as usual whenever she went, with Stormtroopers combing the streets as well. They were stationed on every known planet in the Galaxy, menacing others and always finding ways to meddle in the affairs of others. Too many times she witnessed lives lost, families torn apart, homes being ransacked all in the name of the Empire.

She hated the lot of them.

Atollon, her home, was crawling with them.

She passed by a group of female Twi'lek, ignoring their staring and whispering among themselves. It mattered not what others thought of her, she was used to whispers and talks behind her back. It was always the same on Atollon after all. This was nothing new, nor will it be the end of anything in particular.

Lyric adjusted the over-sized hood on her head of her gray knit sweater, then stuffed her fists into her sweaters pockets even though they were covered with black finger-less gloves. Her dark blue-jean-like pants fitted her contours perfectly, hugging her slim figure, almost as if they were specially tailored to her size. A small laser pistol was tucked away into her black-heeled boots, hidden out of sight should she be searched by a trooper.

Her sky blue eyes watched the Stormtroopers go by. Her long bleach blonde hair was in a French braid with beads woven into it, though several strands of stray hair were wrapped with purple thread. Her pale skin gave a stark contrast to the darkness around her, giving her an eerie ghost-like appearance.

Lyric went down the alleyway hoping to get shelter from the rain like some others were doing. Glancing down at the strange birthmark on her left wrist when it began to sting, she gently ran a finger over it. It looked as if it had been carved into her flesh and had been allowed to scar over, giving it a raised and bumpy feel to the touch.

She pulled her sleeve back down and continued through the alley, stopping when she saw a strange shop tucked away in the side of the alley wall. A strange feeling in her gut screamed that she needed to go in there.

After hesitating briefly with herself, black boots crossed quietly through the threshold.

It was a weapons store.

"Ah, welcome," The old shopkeeper, who looked up from a sketch, beamed at her, "Feel free to look around. You holler if you see anything you like. Everything is half off."

Lyric glanced around and saw thousands of different styles of guns and pistols.

Then suddenly something in a glass case caught her eye.

A Lightsaber.

They were illegal to anyone outside of the Sith Lords and their followers.

"I see you've found something," the old man came to her carrying his now finished sketch.

"How do you have a Lightsaber?" Lyric asked him. "I thought they were illegal," a finger reached out to rest upon the glass.

"No one ever comes in here," the man smiled as he placed the sketch beside the case.

It was a symbol that she was oddly familiar with.

Where had she seen it before?

"What does that stand for?" she asked the man.

"That would be the insignia of the original Jedi Order," he answered.

Lyric looked at the sketch, "But that's my..." she lifted her sleeve and looked at her wrist.

The symbol matched her birthmark exactly.

Lyric jumped when the man grabbed her hand and pulled her arm out, and ran cold fingers over her birthmark.

"Well I be damned." he murmured and looked at her, "You're the one."

"Say what?" Lyric was confused.

"The Jedi restoration lies in the hands of a teenage girl...," he rambled, ignoring her. "Jedi Master Yoda had asked the Force to choose the one to restore balance if ever the Jedi Order should ever fall."

Lyric's interest was piqued now.

"I don't know why I didn't notice it before," he looked Lyric in the eye with his sparkling gray ones, "The Force is very strong with you, Lyric Yelson. Stronger than it was with your grandfather."

How did he know her name?

No one ever spoke of Lyric's Grandfather in her family, especially her mother. "You knew my Grandfather?" she replaced her sleeve over her arm.

The old shopkeeper nodded, "Luke Skywalker."

"My grandfather was the Luke Skywalker?!" she exclaimed in shock.

"Yes." The man opened the case that held the Lightsaber.

He picked it up.

"Here, I want you to have this."

"But..."

"This belonged to Luke himself, a very dear friend of mine," the shop keep placed it in her hands, gently closing her fingers around the Lightsaber, "It's only right that it should be given to his descendant. But you have to make me a promise, Lyric."

His eyes bore into hers.

She nodded.

"Hide this moment you arrive home. Do not let anyone know you have it, not even your mother. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand," Lyric told him then stuffed the Lightsaber in her boot securely.

"At nightfall I want you to come straight here. Don't speak to anyone. You're not safe at home." he warned.

Another nod

"Now go."

Lyric rushed for the door replacing her hood back on her head.

"Crazy old man," she muttered, yet she was already formulating a plan on how she could sneak out of the house tonight.

To Be Continued...