Hello everyone!

Here we are at the start of a new story arc! And this one is gonna suck. A lot. Just so you know. So have tissues ready.

Disclaimer: Can we just all agree that Star Wars does not belong to me but this story does? Good? Good.


Run

Depa


It happens on Kaller.

It's a simple mission. Not an easy mission, no. This is war and nothing about it is easy. But some things are simpler than others. Depa sighs as she remembers her Padawan's reaction to that. The natives don't see them any differently than they see the Separatists.

She is not surprised.

War is not kind and those who are outside of the conflict are the victims of violence that they did nothing to invite.

Caleb doesn't quite understand.

Part of Depa hopes that he never will.

But it's a naïve hope. She knows it is. Her Padawan will not come out of this war unscathed no matter how much she might wish him to.

There are moments though were she can – well, not forget, but think about something else. Moments where there is no fighting, no battlefields filled with fire and blood and death. Quiet moments. Happy moments. Moments filled with laughter that has become far too rare in this day and age.

She hides a smile as Styles reaches out and ruffles Caleb's hair, a teasing smile on his lips. Caleb squawks in protest and bats his hands away.

Yes, these moments are becoming increasingly rare.

But that just makes them infinitely more precious.

Grey steps away, his comm chirping at him and she waves him off.

Caleb is pouting at her as if he expects her to jump in and save him. She just smirks and raises an eyebrow. Her Padawan's pout deepens.

She opens her mouth to say something – she doesn't even know what – when it hits her.

The wave slams into her, stealing the breath from her body. Death. Death everywhere. There's so many. Three years of war across the galaxy and Depa has never in her life felt anything like this. The Force screams warning at her. She sees flashes – Jedi falling, dying.

And their troops are the ones shooting them.

She surges to her feet, lightsaber in hand before she even realizes it. Her hand snatches Caleb and drags him behind her just as her men turn on them.

She shouts at them. Demands, pleads, asks what going on, what's happening, why are you doing this?

Her only response is a cold, flat, "Good soldiers follow orders."

It's wrong.

Something is not right. These are her men. Hers. She knows them.

But they are shooting at her.

Shooting at her Padawan.

Caleb.

Her Padawan.

Her responsibility.

Her child.

She has to protect him. She keeps herself between her troops and her child even as she drags him along. Even as he tries to step up beside her. She pushes him towards the trees, away from them, away from danger.

She can see the conflict on his face, the hesitation in his eyes. He wants to stay with her, wants to help her. She knows he does. His love for her at war with his duty to listen to her orders.

Force, he's such a sweet, bright child. Her blessing. Her gift. She wishes she had more time with him.

She opens her mouth and the first lie she has ever told him spills out.

"Go! I'll be right behind you!"

Caleb runs.

Her heart aches. She shoves it aside as she stares her troops down. She deflects shot after shot, loses track how many of her men she's injured, how many she's killed.

She needs to keep Caleb safe.

They will not touch him.

She sees Styles aim at something past her. She turns. Her heart stops.

Caleb.

"Styles, NO!" she shouts, reaching out and shoving his blaster aside with the Force.

Then everything is pain.

A shot connects, searing into her flesh. Her scream is lodged in her throat as she falls. It hurts. Her lightsaber slips from her fingers as she goes down, the world closing in around her. Distantly, she feels the pain, hears the blasters fire, her troopers shouting.

Funny.

She doesn't remember dying hurting this much.

Then again, the last time this happened, she had not been fighting someone she trusted.

This…this is worse than last time.

She's dying. She can feel it.

Her men are killing her.

Her men are killing her and there's nothing she can do about it.

Her men are killing her and there will be no one left to protect her Padawan.

Caleb, RUN!


Yeeeeeeeeah. So that happened. I know this one is a bit on the short side, but on the plus side, this arc has two more chapters!

(Which are also going to hurt you, but that's beside the point. Everything in this fic hurts you. You guys should know this by now.)

Until next time,

~Elri