A Spark of Life by Mai Lynn Bennet and Clara Lockhart


Scene Four - Secrets

"Whatever," Felony mumbled, sitting back down at the table. "So, when's my house arrest ending?"

"Depends." Callia folded her arms. "You going to stop the suicidalness?"

"Hmm," Felony pretended to think really hard. "With Skywalker around…? No, not anytime soon."

"What does Skywalker have to do with the price of fish?" Callia asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Nothing, he's just irritating," Felony shrugged.

Callia's eyebrows remained raised and she said. "Irritating… sure."

"What?" Felony turned her full attention to Callia.

"Oh nothing!" Callia exclaimed, raising her hands, her voice sounding way to false to be taken seriously. "It's just so obvious how much more he is to you then irritating."

"What?!" Felony exclaimed. "You… how the hell'd you get that out of my hatrid?"

Callia smirked. "When you're a Jedi you tend to look past the direct feelings and see into the… subconscious."

"The… what?" Felony said incredulously.

"Oh, come now Princess. Surely I don't have to explain the definition of subconscious now, do I?"

"You think I like him?" Felony simply couldn't understand it. She had threatened to kill the guy. Not marry him.

"Perhaps." Callia leant forward, chin in her hands, looking like a gossiping teenager. "Depends on the situation."

"But…" Felony hissed. "He insulted my book! He said I didn't know the meaning of love! Just because I'm a Sith! That ignorant little Jedi thinks I have no feelings!" she kicked a chair down.

"So you say you can love? But who? If you can really love, then who?"

"I don't, okay?" her eyes became distant. "I just don't."

"Hey," Callia said, cupping the girls chin and turning her head so she was forced to look in her eyes. "You can talk to me, you know that right? The only secrets I tell are the ones that can't be kept."

Felony pulled away. "You know you're the only person I could tell anything to."

"Then why don't you tell me?" Callia sat down on a chair by the table. "Why did Sideous want you dead? The real story, not that bullshit you told Yoda."

"I… I can't… I swear, if you thought my life was in danger before…"

"Like I said, Princess." Callia leant forward. "I only tell secrets that can't be kept."

"Sideous… he isn't just my master." Felony's eyes began to well up slightly.

Callia raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Darth Sideous…" Felony, usually never showing any emotion, was fighting back tears. "I'm his daughter." She burst out crying and ran out the door that Callia had left unlocked.

"Wait -" Callia called after the sobbing girl. "Felony!" She yelled. "Felony!"

Felony ran through the corridors, her tears falling to the ground. She suddenly tripped and lay on the floor, a sobbing mess. She didn't even bother to get up.

"Felony…?" A voice said from above her.

Felony didn't reply. She let her black hair fall over her face while she continued to cry.

A nervous hand was gently placed upon her shoulder. "Felony?" The voice asked again.

"Anakin," Felony choked out. "Please… not now."

Anakin was freaked out. The obnoxious Sith Lord was curled up on the floor, crying her eyes out. It didn't make sense!

Obi-Wan came to see what the noise was about and stopped when he rounded the corner and saw them. He slowly backed up to give them some space.

"Come on Fel," Anakin said gently, scooping her up in his arms. "Let's get you back to your Master."

Felony didn't complain and wrapped her arms around his neck.

Anakin walked back up the hall, the girl sobbing into his shoulder. He passed Obi-Wan, who just looked at him surprised. Anakin gave him a look that said, 'Well, I couldn't just leave her now, could I?' before opening the door to her room.

Felony lay down on the bed. She seemed to only realise then that she was still clutching his hand, and she let her grip loosen and her hands slipped away. "Thank you," she whispered, before her eyelids lowered and she fell into a shallow sleep.

Anakin stared at her sleeping form. Watching her sleep, he felt an unfamiliar feeling in the pit of his stomach. Shaking his head, he stood up and walked over to the door.

Obi-Wan met Callia in the corridor. "What was that all about?"

Callia chuckled nervously. "Nothing, nothing. Teenage meltdown, very common."

"So, what's the plan?" Obi-Wan asked. "Because obviously for a girl that never shows any emotion, it must have been pretty big for her to be lying on the ground, crying."

"Ha! That's a teenager for you. Moody, obnoxious, it'll pass. Yep, that's right, affirmative, correctamundo!" she frowned. "Something that I never plan on saying again."

Obi-Wan held her shoulders. "I don't care what's wrong. But if there's anything we can do to help… I'd hate to see Anakin in that state."

Callia folded her arms. "In what state?"

"In such a bad way that she didn't even try to refuse Anakin's help! She must be sick or something!" Obi-Wan mused.

"She's a teenage girl, Obi-Wan." Callia placed a hand on his arm. "I know what she's like. I was a teenager once too you know."

He laughed. "So was I," he paused. "The teenage part, not the girl part…" he laughed but his smile faded. "Are you sure there's nothing Anakin can do? He is her age, so maybe they would relate to eachother?"

Callia shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Not unless he has a great, big, evil monster for a father than no."

"What do you mean?" Obi-Wan questioned her, eyes narrowed.

"What's going on?" A voice said from behind them.

"She needs help, boy! Go in there and comfort her!"

Anakin's eyes widened at his Master's urgency, but he reopened the door and walked back inside.

Felony was sound asleep by the time Anakin walked back in.

Obi-Wan turned to Callia. "Perhaps for tonight we should give her a sleeping drug? All that distress must have tired her mind." He lowered his voice. "Plus, then she won't… try anything."

"She won't try anything. Not tonight. Not after what happened."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because women are just more emotional. It's rather tiring actually." Callia said matter-of-factly.

"Emotional?" Obi-Wan laughed disbelievingly. "Callia. She's tried to commit suicide. Twice. I don't think emotional cuts it."

"She's been through a lot. The emotions have just been… magnified."

"Right," Obi-Wan said.

Felony's eyes fluttered open.

"You alright?" Anakin asked.

She bit her lip. "I'm… I'm sorry, Skywalker, I don't know what came over me." She blushed, remembering crying into his shoulder.

He shrugged. "It's alright. I had to comfort my mum for nine years. I'm used to a woman's emotion."

"Your mother is no doubtedly a different woman," Felony said, still blushing.

Anakin smiled. "Very different."

She looked down. "I suppose Callia's told you,"

Anakin cocked his head sideways in confusion. "Told me what?"

"You know…" she paused. "Wait, she didn't tell you?"

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about." Anakin said.

Felony's eyes lit up. "Oh, nothing." She then said. "Thank you again, I suppose I would still be on the floor if it weren't for you."

Anakin gave her a weird look, and then left the room.

Felony stared at the ceiling, wondering if she had said something wrong.

Obi-Wan's face lit up when his padawan walked out of the room. "What happened?"

Anakin shrugged. "I dunno. She was rambling on about something that Master Callia might have told me." He glanced over at her. "She seemed awfully relieved when she found out we didn't know."

Obi-Wan looked at Callia questioningly.

Callia shook her head at him before turning to the boy. "Did she say anything, anything, about what she didn't want you to know?"

Obi-Wan listened closely to what Anakin had to say.

"No." Anakin replied, giving her the weirdest of looks.

"Oh don't give me that face!" Callia exclaimed. She clasped her hands. "Are you sure? Are you absolutely sure she said nothing?"

Felony was still wondering what she had said wrong. She heard shouting from outside and opened the door. Her mind wasn't exactly functioning properly and she only vaguely remembered what had happened. Her head hurt all the same.

"Felony, get back inside." Callia warned, stepping in front of the girl.

Felony looked confusedly at her master's face. She stepped backwards into the room and closed the door.

"What is it – what does she know?!" Anakin yelled.

Felony heard the yelling from behind the door.

Obi-Wan was confused beyond measure.

"Like I said before – she. Knows. NOTHING!"

"Well then why won't you tell us what it was about?" Obi-Wan shouted back.

Felony couldn't take it anymore. She slammed open the door, eyes blazing. "Shut up! All of you! Now, I don't know why the hell you're arguing, but don't. Not for my sake anyway. Now, if you want to continue this discussion, I suggest you take it elsewhere. Away. From. Me."

"Felony, calm down. Go back inside and -"

"Just shut up, Callia!" Felony screeched, using her actual name for the first time. Her tone softened and she shook her head. "Please, I'm just tired…"

Callia took a step back. "Fine." She said, weakly. "We'll head upstairs." She turned and ushered the boys away, before turning around. "Chest of draws on the left, second draw down. You'll find something in there for your head."

"Thank you," Felony said, closing the door.

Callia nodded her acknowledgement, before turning and following the men down the corridor and away from Felony.

Felony leaned against the closed door and sighed. Bowing her head, she slid down onto the floor. Although she wouldn't ever admit it to anyone, a hug would have been great right about then.