The Forgotten One, Chapter 4: White Light
In the Past or is it the Future?
There is darkness everywhere. It cloaks everything it touches, stealing the honesty and light away.
Darkness…
Light…
White hot light…
Oh the light…
Shena awoke from her trying slumber to find herself in the white room again. White padded walls, white padded floor, white padded ceiling, white padded door. Looking down at her clothes…white padded child.
She began to cry again, but took little notice…she always cried…always. It was a fact of life; like Light and Dark.
She started clawing at the walls, looking for a tear, anything. Soon she began running, around and around. After several minutes of gathering speed, she threw herself against the wall. She had to find an opening, any opening. She had to escape.
Suddenly the door flew open and several whites clad men rushed in and pinned her to the floor. Her bruised and broken body felt like it was being torn in two. Rough hands shoved her pant leg up and injected some liquid into her bloodstream. The men let her go, but not before giving her a few swifts kicks in the ribs, to teach her a lesson.
Shena lay on the floor gasping for breath, hot fire spreading its way from her leg towards her heart. She knew soon she would be asleep, only to awake to the laborites or the white room. Many times, she had wished they would give her too much medicine. Many times, she wished she wouldn't wake up ever again. As she shut her eyes, the last thing she saw was the white door, closed forever to her…
White door…
White room…
White…
White…
Black…
Ahhhh….the black.
*****
Present day
Coruscant
Jedi Temple
"...and then we presented the supplies to his majesty Lord Detinu. We also oversaw the giving of the supplies and made sure isolated villages received food and medical attention. I'm pleased to announce there was no incidences during the mission," Obi-wan finished.
Master Mace Windu nodded to Obi-wan, before turning his attention to his padawan. Anakin had been standing in his formal position, a step behind and two the side of his master with his head bowed, and gazing at the floor for the entire time. "And you, Apprentice Skywalker. What say you of this mission?"
Anakin looked up, surprised. He hadn't expected to be called; the mission had been an easy one and his input wasn't necessary. He suspected that he had been radiating his thoughts to the Council. "The mission was a simple one. Like my Master said, there wasn't any incidences."
"But there was."
Anakin stared at the master. Yep, they had heard his thoughts. Great. "There was no incident."
Yoda gazed at the boy, his chin resting on his gimmer stick. "Ahhhh. Elsewhere, your thoughts are. A young woman, you think of."
Anakin stared down at the ground as he felt his ears go from pink to red to scarlet. "I saw this girl in the marketplace. She…er…well…she just looked different, that's all. Nothing happened."
Master Windu looked curious. "Different?"
Anakin nodded. "Well…er…At first she looked like a regular person, they wasn't anything strange about her. But then as I reached out with the Force, I noticed something. She was so strong in the force, but I could barely feel her. It was like she wasn't there."
If the Council members were surprised, their faces didn't register it. The stoic expressions were grating on Anakin's nerves. He just wished they would say something.
Finally after a few minutes, Master Yoda spoke. "Different, how, this is?"
Anakin was surprised and at once was even unsure of himself. "Umm…well…you see, it was strange…er…how she…umm…carried herself. It was like she didn't know she was strong in the force, or able to mask herself so well."
After Anakin's stuttering speech, the Jedi Council was again silent and Anakin knew they were conversing about him and the girl right now. He felt Obi-wan place his hand on his shoulder and send him little waves of reassurance. Anakin appreciated the gesture, but he was still extremely anxious.
Master Windu nodded his head at Anakin. "We will have to discuss this, before we take any action. Thank you, Padawan Skywalker."
Obi-wan started walking towards the door and Anakin followed him. When they were outside, Anakin started breathing more normally. Ever since he had first been brought before the Council, he was terrified talking to the Jedi Masters.
Obi-wan picked up on Anakin's feelings and patted the younger man on the shoulder. "Relax, Ani, we're done with the Council for today."
Anakin nodded, but he was certain that the Council would call for him soon enough.
*****
Nearby…
Mari Srebrob broke through the surface of the water and smiled. Of all the things the Temple had to offer, she loved the pools the best. Being a Hamadryad, a species of water nymph native to the planet of Hamadrya, she craved water.
Her appearance suggested that also. Her hair was a light lime green, her eyes were the color of coral, and her skin was so pale it was almost white. There were small silts below the curve of her jaw; they were her gills and allowed her to breathe underwater. Trailing down from that on the sides of her neck, she had small amounts of shiny scales; they were also on her upper arms. Her notable feature was her fins, attached to her forearm, they jutted out at the elbow. All in all, Mari looked wild and unpredictable; and that was fine with her, because she was.
Just as she was about to go under again, a voice called her name? She turned and saw Lin Kanthya rushing up to her. Mari smiled wider this time, showing her fangs on either side of her front teeth.
"Mari! I have good news!" Lin stopped suddenly, to stop himself from plunging headfirst into the pool.
Mari cocked her head to the side. "What is it, Lin?"
The Nubian grinned at his friend. "Anakin is back! He returned this morning. He's in chambers right now with the Council."
Mari grinned back. Just like Skywalker to completely forget to say hi to his friends. She shook her head and moved towards the ladder.
Lin grabbed a nearby towel and threw to Mari. She caught it with ease and wrapped it around her waist. Shaking the water from her hair, she ran to the locker room. Skywalker was back…
*****
In the shadows, hidden from sight, evil lurks…
"We found the girl's camp, Master."
"Excellent, my apprentice. Where was it?"
"In the southern caves of Hye; apparently she's been hiding there for months."
"Commendable job. Now, tell me, where is the girl?"
The apprentice gazed down to the floor before speaking. "She escaped, Master."
"What? How could she have escaped?"
"She's stronger than w…."
"I don't care if she was stronger than originally thought! That still doesn't explain how she managed to sneak past my best forces!" The Master was angry and you never wanted to get the Master angry.
The apprentice cowered and sank to the floor on his knees. He started begging and pleading for his Master's forgiveness; tears of shame in his eyes. The Master, annoyed and exasperated, merely kicked his apprentice in the stomach. The apprentice gasped for breath and clutched his side.
The Master stood by a large window and gazed outside. "Don't worry my apprentice…we'll find that girl soon…Very soon."
Somewhere far away, a young girl named Alettè awoke and began to cry…
*****
Next Chapter SOON
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