Guardians of the Force
Chapter 4
The Taking
It was getting late. Children were falling asleep and the feasting table was being cleared of empty dishes and dirty plates. The festive air had calmed along with the last of the storm.
"Mommie, Mommie, the man." Anikiyala pulled on her Mother's dress. Raphmi're stopped, dishes piled high in her hands.
"Iyala, please my dear, no one is coming."
"No, Mommie. I see him there." Iyala pointed to the front door.
'Why do I not see anyone?' wondered Raphmi're.
"Little one, only some of the men are outside talking."
Ja halfway to the kitchen turned about, "Yes, someone is coming." she said.
Then all seemed to go in slow motion, at least, later, when Iyala tried to remember it all. Heads turning slowly to the doorway, a sense of fear spreading, the men still present going for any object that might serve as a weapon. Iyala looked first to her Mother and watched as the plates slid from her hands...the look in her Mother's eyes caused her to turn back to the door only to see her Uncle enter. There was a huge gaping black hole in the middle of his chest. Iyala could hear the fire crackling in the great fireplace behind her, the sound seeming so loud. Or was it something different that made the loud popping sound, she couldn't tell.
"Gooooo!" yelled Azum. Moving so slow, Iyala turned to him, his brother, Kym, by his side, "Cloak them, Kym, and head for the waterfall caves." Iyala did not like being cloaked, it made her dizzy; she didn't understand why this was happening.
"Why does Father's mouth seem so funny?" asked Miem'ire. But to Iyala , her sister's voice sounded slow and far away as well.
Up in the air she was lifted. "Nooo, Poppy, I want my Poppy!" she screamed. Strange men poured into the house and fire came from their hands she thought. More plates crashed to the floor and the men of her family seemed to heave as one toward the onslaught of the stangers. Mommie was crying and suddenly they were in the work room and a covering was thrown over her head.
"Cover yourself with this Raphmi're." shouted Uncle Kym.
Out in the soft rain, Iyala knew it was still raining though under the covering she counldn't see or feel it, she only knew it was there.
"Mimi, Jallim." she cried for her sister and brother. Things began to move faster. Uncle Kym and Mother running, slipping in the mud. Iyala fought against her Uncle, if she couldn't be with her Father, then she wanted her Mother. The screams and yells from in the house followed them into the forest. Fallen trees tripped them; Uncle dropped her. She could hear her Mother's beautiful dress being torn.
"Mommie, Mommie." crawling through the mud Iyala reached out to her.
"Kym, Kym, I can't go on." Raphmi're groaned with pain. "My leg, go, go with your Uncle little one."
Iyala's hand found her Mother's dress, but no, it was a torn piece of fabric ripped away by a wayward broken branch. "Mommie, Mommie." She was being lifted up again. Twisting she pushed away from her Uncle.
"Stop," her Uncle demanded, "you'll not cry on me Iyala." So she stopped and breathed hard as a dark knowledge that all of this was because of her spread like poison through her young mind.
"No leave my Mommie! Please! Please!" she begged in a whisper.
Kym thought hard. "Alright, I'll not leave her. We stay."
"No, Kym, you must go."
"Raphmi're, hold my hand, we'll stay cloaked here." Kym concentrated, this would be hard. He had not tried to cloak so many since he was a child and then at hunting with his brothers it had been simple, but now he was not so young and had used the power little in recent years. Slowly he found the place inside of him where his gift of the Force lay, and even if it had been daylight no person would have seen the three as he worked the power to cloak them invisible.
*****
"Master, one of the men spotted movement at the back of the house." Reported the Captain.
"Go, search for anyone, and any child you find bring to me." Darth Sidious smiled. Though the ones in the house fought with what powers they had, the Anikiyalians were no match for the fire power of his soldiers.
"Yes, Master." And the Captain moved away.
The Dark Lord stood in the courtyard. He, himself searching. The children in front of him whimpered and cried. Only one young boy looked unafraid. To the children it was as though Halluyn, the boogey man of bedtime stories, had risen before them; bringing strange bright lights that lit up the whole area and evil doers that obeyed his every order. The children blinked unaccustomed to such strong, unnatural light.
"Who are you?" demanded the boy.
"Tell me who am I looking for?" came the reply.
Jallim scowled and spat at him. He had seen the soldiers cut down his father in cold blood and no matter the pain or fate destined to him now, he would not be afraid or cry. "May death come to you and burn you where you stand."
Darth Sidious could not contain his laughter, then shock crossed his face as he felt himself shoved backwards slightly.
"So young and so stupid." he growled.
"Sir, the adults in the house, they are all dead."
"Good, perhaps now one of these children will see fit to talk."
"I'm not afraid of you." said Jallim. And not understanding how he did his next move, only that this had to stop as hate crept into Jallim, he narrowed his eyes. Sensing he could do nothing to this caped, vile man he looked to the bearer of this news of death and a power flowed through Jallim and the Captain felt his throat closing by an unseen grip. He struggled falling to the ground and mouthed sir, then master. Only no sound left his mouth and the the Captain fell over laying dead on the ground.
"Master, this one was hiding in a closet." said a young foot soldier pulling Miem'ire, Iyala's sister, behind him.
"Nooooo!" Jallim had no way of knowing at that precise moment his little sister too screamed out the same word.
"No, no, no, Jallim, Mimi." wept Iyala. She could see it all as if it were happening right before her eyes.
"Shhh!" her Uncle shook her again.
*****
"Sir?!"
"Yes, I heard it as well. This way, over here men. Hurry!" shouted the field leader.
Iyala swung her hand suddenly furious at how her Uncle held her. Couldn't he see her brother and sister needed help? Kym fell back, losing his hold on Raphmi're and Iyala in the same instant. Next bright lights were on them. Iyala froze. A small animal caught in a spot light. How she knocked her uncle away she wasn't sure, but she never meant to, and now? Again lightening flashed from their hands, she could now see it was coming from some thing that they all seemed to be holding. She turned to her Mother to see if her Mother could it explain, but there was a flash and Raphmi're's lovely face was blown in half. At hearing a second flash, Iyala did not bother turning, but felt her Uncle's life force leave him as well.
*****
Darth Sidious leaned in close to Jallim's face, 'If only this were the one.' he thought sinisterly. He could feel the Force that flowed from this pitiful gathering of children.
"Tell me what I want to know and you will live." he tested them.
"I'll tell you nothing." shot back Jallim.
"But you want to tell me." Sidious said with a wave of his hand passing before Jallim's face. Yet, Jallim remained like stone.
"Amazing, yes, quite so." murmured the Dark One. He knew the boy was not the one he wanted though. In his visions, he had seen a girl, a very, little girl.
"Take the boys, kill them now." ordered Sidious.
"No!" screamed Miem'ire. "I'll tell you."
"It's only a trick Mi." shouted Jallim.
"You want to know who the Guardian is, right?"
"Stop it Mi, don't tell him." shouted an older cousin. But Mi, in her terror was not going to listen, and the Dark Lord smiled. 'How perceptive these children are,' he thought. 'Pity they would lose so much of their power later, I could use them all otherwise.' He edged toward Miem'ire. "Tell me." he said softly.
"He's the Old Man that lives in the mountains." Mi pointed to the mountains rising to the right of the Tzu home.
Darth Sidious made a face. "Allright, enough, I'll not play these games." he hissed. "Take the boys, kill them."
"Yes, Master."
"No," Miem'ire shouted, "it's the truth. The Old Man is the Guardian. I'm not lying!" she squealed desperately.
But a single wave of the Dark Lord's hand and Miem'ire felt herslf thrown through the air, her head making a sickening sound as it connected with the front wall of what had been her home.
The soldiers were picking the boys off easily with their blasters. Not one bothered himself with wondering if killing children were a wrong thing to do. The Master gave orders and they obeyed, it was as simple as that.
The returning group from the forest carried a little girl and from a distance Darth Sidious knew what he had been looking for was found. Ignoring the pleas and cries for their parents from the group of girls standing before him he ordered, "Kill them now, kill them all." He had no use for this lot and a wickedly evil smile crossed his face at the thought of what use he would make of the one coming. And his laughter filled the late night air.
*****
"Set all detonators on high, is that understood?"
"Yes, Master."
"I want nothing left alive on this planet."
"As you will it." and Captain Sniden bowed low before his Master.
As the starship pulled away from the tiny blue planet not a single life form was left alive. The Dark Lord's arsenal had seen to that and the beauty of the planet Anikiyala was gone forever.
Chapter 4
The Taking
It was getting late. Children were falling asleep and the feasting table was being cleared of empty dishes and dirty plates. The festive air had calmed along with the last of the storm.
"Mommie, Mommie, the man." Anikiyala pulled on her Mother's dress. Raphmi're stopped, dishes piled high in her hands.
"Iyala, please my dear, no one is coming."
"No, Mommie. I see him there." Iyala pointed to the front door.
'Why do I not see anyone?' wondered Raphmi're.
"Little one, only some of the men are outside talking."
Ja halfway to the kitchen turned about, "Yes, someone is coming." she said.
Then all seemed to go in slow motion, at least, later, when Iyala tried to remember it all. Heads turning slowly to the doorway, a sense of fear spreading, the men still present going for any object that might serve as a weapon. Iyala looked first to her Mother and watched as the plates slid from her hands...the look in her Mother's eyes caused her to turn back to the door only to see her Uncle enter. There was a huge gaping black hole in the middle of his chest. Iyala could hear the fire crackling in the great fireplace behind her, the sound seeming so loud. Or was it something different that made the loud popping sound, she couldn't tell.
"Gooooo!" yelled Azum. Moving so slow, Iyala turned to him, his brother, Kym, by his side, "Cloak them, Kym, and head for the waterfall caves." Iyala did not like being cloaked, it made her dizzy; she didn't understand why this was happening.
"Why does Father's mouth seem so funny?" asked Miem'ire. But to Iyala , her sister's voice sounded slow and far away as well.
Up in the air she was lifted. "Nooo, Poppy, I want my Poppy!" she screamed. Strange men poured into the house and fire came from their hands she thought. More plates crashed to the floor and the men of her family seemed to heave as one toward the onslaught of the stangers. Mommie was crying and suddenly they were in the work room and a covering was thrown over her head.
"Cover yourself with this Raphmi're." shouted Uncle Kym.
Out in the soft rain, Iyala knew it was still raining though under the covering she counldn't see or feel it, she only knew it was there.
"Mimi, Jallim." she cried for her sister and brother. Things began to move faster. Uncle Kym and Mother running, slipping in the mud. Iyala fought against her Uncle, if she couldn't be with her Father, then she wanted her Mother. The screams and yells from in the house followed them into the forest. Fallen trees tripped them; Uncle dropped her. She could hear her Mother's beautiful dress being torn.
"Mommie, Mommie." crawling through the mud Iyala reached out to her.
"Kym, Kym, I can't go on." Raphmi're groaned with pain. "My leg, go, go with your Uncle little one."
Iyala's hand found her Mother's dress, but no, it was a torn piece of fabric ripped away by a wayward broken branch. "Mommie, Mommie." She was being lifted up again. Twisting she pushed away from her Uncle.
"Stop," her Uncle demanded, "you'll not cry on me Iyala." So she stopped and breathed hard as a dark knowledge that all of this was because of her spread like poison through her young mind.
"No leave my Mommie! Please! Please!" she begged in a whisper.
Kym thought hard. "Alright, I'll not leave her. We stay."
"No, Kym, you must go."
"Raphmi're, hold my hand, we'll stay cloaked here." Kym concentrated, this would be hard. He had not tried to cloak so many since he was a child and then at hunting with his brothers it had been simple, but now he was not so young and had used the power little in recent years. Slowly he found the place inside of him where his gift of the Force lay, and even if it had been daylight no person would have seen the three as he worked the power to cloak them invisible.
*****
"Master, one of the men spotted movement at the back of the house." Reported the Captain.
"Go, search for anyone, and any child you find bring to me." Darth Sidious smiled. Though the ones in the house fought with what powers they had, the Anikiyalians were no match for the fire power of his soldiers.
"Yes, Master." And the Captain moved away.
The Dark Lord stood in the courtyard. He, himself searching. The children in front of him whimpered and cried. Only one young boy looked unafraid. To the children it was as though Halluyn, the boogey man of bedtime stories, had risen before them; bringing strange bright lights that lit up the whole area and evil doers that obeyed his every order. The children blinked unaccustomed to such strong, unnatural light.
"Who are you?" demanded the boy.
"Tell me who am I looking for?" came the reply.
Jallim scowled and spat at him. He had seen the soldiers cut down his father in cold blood and no matter the pain or fate destined to him now, he would not be afraid or cry. "May death come to you and burn you where you stand."
Darth Sidious could not contain his laughter, then shock crossed his face as he felt himself shoved backwards slightly.
"So young and so stupid." he growled.
"Sir, the adults in the house, they are all dead."
"Good, perhaps now one of these children will see fit to talk."
"I'm not afraid of you." said Jallim. And not understanding how he did his next move, only that this had to stop as hate crept into Jallim, he narrowed his eyes. Sensing he could do nothing to this caped, vile man he looked to the bearer of this news of death and a power flowed through Jallim and the Captain felt his throat closing by an unseen grip. He struggled falling to the ground and mouthed sir, then master. Only no sound left his mouth and the the Captain fell over laying dead on the ground.
"Master, this one was hiding in a closet." said a young foot soldier pulling Miem'ire, Iyala's sister, behind him.
"Nooooo!" Jallim had no way of knowing at that precise moment his little sister too screamed out the same word.
"No, no, no, Jallim, Mimi." wept Iyala. She could see it all as if it were happening right before her eyes.
"Shhh!" her Uncle shook her again.
*****
"Sir?!"
"Yes, I heard it as well. This way, over here men. Hurry!" shouted the field leader.
Iyala swung her hand suddenly furious at how her Uncle held her. Couldn't he see her brother and sister needed help? Kym fell back, losing his hold on Raphmi're and Iyala in the same instant. Next bright lights were on them. Iyala froze. A small animal caught in a spot light. How she knocked her uncle away she wasn't sure, but she never meant to, and now? Again lightening flashed from their hands, she could now see it was coming from some thing that they all seemed to be holding. She turned to her Mother to see if her Mother could it explain, but there was a flash and Raphmi're's lovely face was blown in half. At hearing a second flash, Iyala did not bother turning, but felt her Uncle's life force leave him as well.
*****
Darth Sidious leaned in close to Jallim's face, 'If only this were the one.' he thought sinisterly. He could feel the Force that flowed from this pitiful gathering of children.
"Tell me what I want to know and you will live." he tested them.
"I'll tell you nothing." shot back Jallim.
"But you want to tell me." Sidious said with a wave of his hand passing before Jallim's face. Yet, Jallim remained like stone.
"Amazing, yes, quite so." murmured the Dark One. He knew the boy was not the one he wanted though. In his visions, he had seen a girl, a very, little girl.
"Take the boys, kill them now." ordered Sidious.
"No!" screamed Miem'ire. "I'll tell you."
"It's only a trick Mi." shouted Jallim.
"You want to know who the Guardian is, right?"
"Stop it Mi, don't tell him." shouted an older cousin. But Mi, in her terror was not going to listen, and the Dark Lord smiled. 'How perceptive these children are,' he thought. 'Pity they would lose so much of their power later, I could use them all otherwise.' He edged toward Miem'ire. "Tell me." he said softly.
"He's the Old Man that lives in the mountains." Mi pointed to the mountains rising to the right of the Tzu home.
Darth Sidious made a face. "Allright, enough, I'll not play these games." he hissed. "Take the boys, kill them."
"Yes, Master."
"No," Miem'ire shouted, "it's the truth. The Old Man is the Guardian. I'm not lying!" she squealed desperately.
But a single wave of the Dark Lord's hand and Miem'ire felt herslf thrown through the air, her head making a sickening sound as it connected with the front wall of what had been her home.
The soldiers were picking the boys off easily with their blasters. Not one bothered himself with wondering if killing children were a wrong thing to do. The Master gave orders and they obeyed, it was as simple as that.
The returning group from the forest carried a little girl and from a distance Darth Sidious knew what he had been looking for was found. Ignoring the pleas and cries for their parents from the group of girls standing before him he ordered, "Kill them now, kill them all." He had no use for this lot and a wickedly evil smile crossed his face at the thought of what use he would make of the one coming. And his laughter filled the late night air.
*****
"Set all detonators on high, is that understood?"
"Yes, Master."
"I want nothing left alive on this planet."
"As you will it." and Captain Sniden bowed low before his Master.
As the starship pulled away from the tiny blue planet not a single life form was left alive. The Dark Lord's arsenal had seen to that and the beauty of the planet Anikiyala was gone forever.
