Disclaime: Owns nothing but the idea of the OCs.
Chapter One
"Lifa!" ...
A girl nearly six teen lie on her back in the tall grass staring up at the night sky. Her brown clothing was dirty from a hard day's work in the fields, so grass stains were no concern for her. She had long dark hair that was braided and pulled around to drape over her shoulder. Her honey brown eyes sparkled as she gazed at the stars above.
"Five hundred and ninety six, five hundred and ninety seven, five hundred and ninety eight-"
She was counting the stars. Those far away twinkling lights that had always fascinated her ever since she could remember. She'd always longed to see what they looked like up close, though her mother said that was nearly impossible.
A warm breeze flowed through the grass around her. Summer was having a hard time letting go this year.
"Lifa!" -
She sighed as her name being called had interrupted her and caused her to lose count.
"Until tomorrow," She told the night sky.
She stood up and dusted herself off. The banthas in the pasture looked up from their grazing to track her as she strode by them. The calves were laying on the ground sleeping, their mothers standing over them.
"See you in the morning," She whispered to the herd and jogged towards the lights that illuminated the cabin she shared with her mother.
When she got to the cabin door her mother was standing with her hands on her hips. She had showered after the day's work, something Lifa had failed to do before disappearing, and was now dressed in a soft creamy dress.
"Must I call for you every evening?" She followed her daughter inside the cabin and immediately determined the girl needed to wash. "I think you must have lied in bantha poo."
"I did not!" Lifa exclaimed.
"Oh, well its just you that smells," Llíria grinned.
"Ha ha, very funny," Lifa kicked her boots off and placed them by the door.
"Go wash up, supper is ready," Llíria told her daughter and walked into the kitchen area that held a small eating table.
She took a pot off the small stove and placed it on the table, along with a plate of rolls. Many of the people of Nez Peron didn't eat as well as Llíria and Lifa, and still they didn't eat as good as the ones that received their crops. The Empire demanded so much of their crop yields that it left very little for the citizens. But once Llíria had managed to acquire the banthas things changed.
Llíria may have bought the banthas but the Empire claimed all rights to them. However, sometimes a calf 'went missing,' or 'died from sickness.' The Empire would supply credits for a new bantha, and as long as she didn't get caught Llíria was fine with what she was doing.
During the day she and Lifa worked the fields, just like everyone else. No one had their own crops, it was all done as a community, and had the Empire not been around, it would be divided among the community. Everyone was happy with this system, just the Empire made it difficult. The community had only a few harvester droids but the droids couldn't handle the vastness of the fields by themselves, so the workers needed to harvest along beside the droids.
Then there was the threshing and winnowing to be done with the grains. They didn't have droids for that.
Lifa came out of the refresher with clean clothes on and wet hair.
"What is it you do out there in the dark?" Llíria asked her while spooning bantha stew in a bowl.
"Nothing, just looking at the stars," Lifa sat down and took the bowl.
Llíria sat down and started spooning stew in her own bowl. "There's a meeting tonight with some of the farmers,"
"Sounds exciting," Lifa fiend excitement.
"There's talk of rebellion," Llíria pulled her roll apart and dipped it into the stew. "I'm going to see what it's all about."
Lifa swallowed a piece of meat. "I'm sure they're all fed up with the way things are."
"Do you want to come?" Llíria watched her daughter eat like she hadn't eaten in three seasons.
"Sure," Lifa never looked up from her bowl.
...
The meeting was being held at one of the farmer's cabins. Borit, Lifa thought was his name. He was an older man, tall with a gray and black beard and gray and black hair pulled back and tied with a piece of bantha leather string. Her mother greeted and older woman, Jaleah. The woman had helped Llíria with Lifa when she was younger.
"Lifa!"
Lifa turned to see a girl her age with blonde hair and blue eyes bounding up to her. She grabbed Lifa in a tight hug but Lifa stood stiff.
"Hi, Kimi," Lifa said tensely.
The girl let go when Lifa didn't return the hug but she beamed up at Lifa, who was immensely taller than Kimi. Lifa was taller than most people, even her own mother. Llíria had told her that her father had been tall and they shared many characteristics.
"Isn't this exciting?" Kimi smiled brightly.
"What?" Lifa looked back at her mother in hopes that she'd see her and call her over.
No such luck, Llíria was talking to someone and had her back to Lifa.
"The rebellion!" Kimi squeaked.
"Ah, yes. Exciting. Can't wait," Lifa tried to sound enthusiastic.
"Lifa, you're so funny," Kimi chuckled.
Their attention was drawn to Borit when he began to speak.
"Welcome everyone. Now that we're all here its time to discuss the issue at hand. The Empire thinks they can just swoop in and take everything from us. Our food, then our children, and the continuing demand for our crops. Leaving very little for us to survive. If it were not for Llíria and her banthas I think most of us would have starved to death by now,"
The people nodded in agreement and looked at Lifa's mother.
Borit crossed his arms. "I think I speak for everyone when I say enough is enough. It's time the Empire learned they can just take everything from us. So when the transporters come tomorrow we will not be putting our crop yields or any of our goods on the ships. Because I am tired of watching the people in our community starve. And I'm tired of the Empire bullying us into submission!"
Everyone nodded and there were a few 'yeah's.
His voice rose and he held a fist up. "We can't keep letting them push us around!"
The crowd shouted in agreement.
"It's our crops, our livestock. We are the ones breaking our backs bringing in the harvests every season and what do we have to show for it? Starving families!"
They cheered and clapped their hands. Lifa stood shocked. There had always been talk about rebellion ever since she remembered, but now they were actually going to do it!
We've talked to the other communities. They all agree that none of the goods are to be shipped to the Empire,"Borit continued. "They will no longer have reign over u-"
"We've heard this all before! No one ever actually follows through," said a thin balding man.
"We will this time, brother! Jahren Sinn was elected to speak on the behalf of all the farming communities," Borit said. "He will be our salvation!"
...
Llíria and Lifa walked back home after the meeting. Lifa was still trying to grasp everything that had happened, and was going to happen. She knew that the Empire would send soldiers as soon as they didn't get their shipment. She wondered if chaos would ensue when the day came and stormtroopers marched into their quiet community. It made her think back when she was young and they had come, but there was nothing to give.
That horrible day when her brother was taken and her father was slain. Her mother didn't know Lifa remembered it. She was only three when it happened. It wasn't a clear memory but she remembered her mother crying, the troopers carrying her brother off, and her father's lifeless body. Lying on the cold ground and being covered by someone with a blanket.
She couldn't remember their faces.
"Lifa, are you ok?" Her ever insightful mother placed a hand on her arm.
"Tell me about dad," She looked at her mother's face, shadowed in the darkness.
"He was a good man. He loved us very much," Llíria said.
"But who was he?" Lifa begged.
Llíria walked silently, Lifa thought she wasn't going to say anything more but was surprised when her mother continued.
"He was a soldier. He left the army when we could no longer stay on Coruscant to come with us. And believe me, for him to have done that was a big deal. All he knew was to be a soldier in the Grand Army of the Republic, it was everything to him. Leaving meant leaving his brothers behind and everything he ever knew.
But he left, even though it meant he'd likely be killed if he was ever caught, because he loved us."
She paused for a moment.
"You look just like him. A bit leaner, but tall, dark hair, same color eyes, your skin is a bit lighter but that's my fault," Llíria grinned. "You even act like him. He was quiet, like you. He kept to himself, he didn't let things bother him, and if they did you probably wouldn't know it. He wasn't an overly emotion type of person. Smiling wasn't something he did... kinda like you,"
It was true. Lifa couldn't count how many times the locals would tell her to smile. It just seemed pointless to smile all the time.
"He was a good father to your brother. Connor worshipped him. He always tried to do everything like your father. He-" Llíria's voice broke, Lifa grabbed her mother's hand.
"One day we'll find him," said confidently. "he is going to come back."
Her mother smiled fondly at her. "I don't know how possible that is."
"I'll find him, some how," Lifa looked ahead of them and led her mother home.