Chapter 1: Traitor

-A week ago-

Running as fast as I could, I managed to stop the enemy by jumping over him and landing right in his path. Holding my lightsaber outwards, I clenched my teeth and growled, "Stop Lambert, you are mine now! You have nowhere to run!" I inclined my head to my student who was behind Lambert, preventing him from running away.

The ugly sith gleamed a spoiled yellow in the desert sun and his orange dead eyes looked at me with such hatred. "Oh, who will save me not?" His voice rang an evil sinister laugh and his slide out his double bladed light saber. The red light shined in his eyes and the tips of his rotting teeth peered out of his mouth.

Lambert loved to have the upper advantage. He discovered my hiding spot. He caught me off-guard. Killed my friends and injured my warriors. Oh, he sure had a lot to be happy about, but I was not going to give him another victory. I was going to end this quick and in one swift move.

As I shifted to make my attack my padawan attacked first and ruined my plan.

He swung his light saber at Lambert, but Lambert deflected it off with one move of his wrist.

Lambert grinned yellow and sneered his dead eyes at me.

My heart rate skyrocketed.

I pushed Lambert away from my student with a 'force push', but it was too late.

Before I even moved my hand to push Lambert away, a bloody scream escaped my padawan's throat and he fell into the hot sand.

Jumping forward I grabbed my students shoulder and neck; cradling his head. I held onto my breath.

"Cetyl, wake up! Cetyl, are you alive?"

Groaning he murmured a "yeah."

Taking a deep breath of relief, I looked in Lambert's direction.

The demon sith was retreating. He was running farther and farther away and finally disappeared using the force to 'speed run.'

I tried to keep track on where he escaped, but it was impossible with the two hot suns beating down on the sand.

I slowly picked Cetyl up in my arms, "I know Urban has a plan to keep us safe."

I knew Cetyl wanted to disagree, but he was too weak to. The slice he received from Lambert cut his stomach open. The cut was ugly and I could smell the boy's blood spill all over his arms.

Lambert nearly killed him and it was my entire fault.

-Present-

"R11, is Cetyl recovering today?" I smile down at the green maintenance droid.

R11 chirps excitedly and rolls away.

"Oh, my lady," says hastily protocol droid 10. He waddles past R11 and with worry says, "My Master Zeltron, your padawan is requesting your presence inside his room. He says, 'I do not feel quite well and-"

"J, really, I just woke up." I sit up and stretch my arms.

"Please call me by my full name, P.D. 10 and there was so much going on this morning while you were sleeping in!" He waddles over and stands by my bed.

The sunlight coming in from the window reflects off P.D.'s shinny silver metal shines in my face, "Ugh, please get out of the sun." I wave my hand in front of my face.

"Talking about the sunlight, today is the sunniest day in history for-"

P.D. could go on for hours. Ignoring his speech of weather I stood up and start setting my mind for the day. I yawn and stretch out my legs.

I was living out in a rebel planet running an underground hospital for any citizens that got hurt during the battles that sometimes took place between a rebel clan and their government. I did not get too much into the politics of their civil war, but I did know that the innocent bystanders were being ignored of their medical needs. So, using my knowledge that I learned from school when I was younger I became a sort of 'doctor.' I was not a professional, but I knew how to help these people survive until they left the planet to go to a professional hospital. We were also the only hospital for normal citizens so we got a lot of visitors every day.

"Oh, and before I forget Mister Urban has arrived-"

"What? He is here?" I stop stretching and stand straight up.

"Oh, yes indeed."

"When did he arrive?"

"This morning at 8:12 am," P.D. said.

"He still here," I asked franticly.

"Yes, ma'am."

Urban was someone who helped me get any supplies I needed and even helped me find this underground building to work in. He was very important for not only the operation of the hospital, but for the security of who comes and leaves the hospital.

I stride past P.D. and start getting dressed in my desert clothes.

"But might I suggest you speak with your padawan-"

"No time. I've been waiting for Urban to show up. I need him to find another secret base for me," I say as I slip on my boots. "Tell Cetyl to wait."

I leave my room and run down the hall. As I jump down the stairs I jump into Urban.

I have not seen Urban for a month and he really did not age at all. He still had his shaggy sandy brown hair, dark brown eyes, tan skin. He even had the same bored expression he always had.

"Marali, I came as soon as I got your signal," he says fast. He knew I was going to say something about his tardiness. "What is it? What happened?"

"Sith Lambert found my base, Cetyl is injured, I lost so many workers, I-"

"Whoa, calm down," he said locking his intense eyes with mine, "first how did a Sith find you?"

"I do not know, P.D. 10 has been looking into it, but has not found anything," I sigh and try to look away from his eyes. I knew that if I looked into those eyes too long I would get lost in them forever.

He gently grabs my arm and leads me to the sitting area inside the base. I used this area to hold waiting people who needed medical help, but ever since Lambert found the base we closed down the base and been trying to cure all the badly injured as soon as we could. If Lambert spread the news on the location of the base it would be better if all the innocent people were not here if they were accused of the same crime as I was.

The room was empty except for a purple cleaning droid vacuuming the clay floor.

Urban sat me on an old scratchy cloth couch and sat beside me. He stares off in space rubbing his chin. Finally, after ten minutes, he looks at me with remorse, "Could it be Cetyl? Have you been watching him? Do you think he joined the Dark Side?"

"No, I have not sensed any disturbance in the force from him," I say looking at him funny. "Why are you accusing-"

"No," he laughs softly, "I am merely suggesting it to be a theory!"

"I would consider the theory, but Lambert almost killed Cetyl. If Cetyl did contact Lambert he would not have done that," I say looking down at my soft hands.

"I didn't know Cetyl was injured. That makes sense why he isn't right by your side," Urban says with a light tone.

I smile and look at him, "Thanks."

"Don't worry, I'm sure he'll be better soon," he smiles back.

"I still need a new base. Putting aside the thought about how we were found, finding a safe place to hide is more important."

"Okay, I think this one base in a rain forest area would be great. I just found it last month and-"

"Excuse me Master Zeltron, but there are people are the entrance requesting your medical aide," P.D. 10 says as he stands next to the couch. "It is quite urgent."

"P.D. 10, tell them the hospital is closed. I wish I could help, but it is not safe," I say and look at the droid.

"Yes, ma'am, but the man told me to tell you his name is Anikin Skywalker, does that name mean anything to you?"

My eyes widen, "Why is he here?"

"He says his/your friends are injured. Should I give them a room with a medical droid?"

I stand and stare at P.D. 10 in a state of shock.

Urban stands with me and grabs my shoulder, "who is the guy," he asks. His fingers tighten around my shoulder.

"An old friend," I say mesmerized on how Anikin could even find me here.

I could feel the unease in Urban's touch, but I shrug off his hand and follow P.D. 10 to Anikin. Urban slowly follows dragging his feet.

Anikin was a padawan when I was. Only his master was Obi-wan Kenobi and mine was Pala. Every once in a while my master and Obi-wan would work together on a mission. I would go with Master Pala on the combined missions and Anikin would come as well. We became friends because of our similar interests on the force and I always hoped I would get chances again to work alongside him.

Then things became odd with Anikin. Usually when we would talk of good deeds, he started mentioning things about the Dark Side. He would always say that it interested him how the Dark Side could 'maybe' be better and how the force gave special powers to the Dark Side that the Light Side did not have.

I worried for him. He was my only friend beside my master. I did not want him to join the Dark Side. I confronted him about my worry and he denied it plainly. I would keep getting a sense of disturbance in the force about him.

I scheduled a conference with the Jedi Council about Anikin, but when I arrived for the meeting only Master Obi-wan and Master Yoda were waiting for me. When I explained my emotions Obi-wan could not believe such a thing.

Then Yoda spoke, he admitted he felt the same disturbance. He explained to me how Anikin was feeling upset because Anikin was seeing visions of the ones he loved dying. The disturbance we both felt was just the fear growing inside of Anikin's heart.

Then I remember this one part of the meeting the best. The memory was literally branded into my brain.

I stared at Master Yoda and said the words I never said before. Like the words were made out of air. "Fear is an emotion that leads to the Dark Side. Fear creates anger and acting without thought. Anger leads to the darkness…darkness kills you inside…never fear, never feel anger…doesn't that mean…Anikin…is losing his…"

And the look they both gave me was so strange.

"Learn about the force you did? Where I ask," Yoda said.

"My master never liked to talk about the force much. She mostly went over lightsaber attacks-"

"We know," Obi-wan Kenobi said, "that is why we wonder how you know so much about the force when Master Pala never taught you much depth on the force."

"I can't really say where I learned it…guess you could say-"

"Always known it you have, yes," Yoda asked.

"Yeah, exactly, I was born with the knowledge."

I felt so happy that I thought I impressed them. And they were, but when they only said 'we will have another meeting with the full council' I got the feeling something was wrong. I impressed them, but now it was like I had to be punished for knowing the information.

"They are right in this room. Do I call on a medical droid?" P.D. 10 asks standing in front of a bare brown door near the front entrance into the base.

I look over at Urban and try to calm the emotion raging inside of me to run away. "Why don't you hang out with Cetyl for a while? I can handle this," I say with a casual tone.

Urban's dark brown eyes squint down at me under his shaggy brown hair. "Who is this Anikin and why do you not want me to meet him?"

"In time."

"Don't forget why you left the council," Urban says heavily. Tilting his head down, he grips his hand around my neck. Urban pulls me closer and kisses me with force. I relax under his grip and kiss him back tenderly. I let him feel how unafraid I am and how force has no effect. Gently Urban removes his warm tan fingers from around my neck and leaves a lingering taste on the lip of my lips. The fierceness leaves his eyes and is replaced with admiration.

With a nod Urban turns and strides down the sun lit hall.

"P.D. 10, send a medical droid," I say to the still silver droid.

"Yes, ma'am," he replies and turns to waddle away. I take a deep breath and turn the knob on the dark door behind me.

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