POV: Barriss Offee
A spike of pain went through my skull, and my knees gave out, causing me to collapse to the floor. Beside me, I saw Ahsoka dropping to her knees as well, holding her head. The pain and weakness of the knees faded away just as quickly as it had come, and we stood up.
"What the hell was that?"
"I have no idea. Master Secura, can you do us a favor?"
"What?"
"We need to go to Dantooine. Our daughter's there, and I fear that something happened to her. And that that's why that migraine and weak-knee attack just happened. But we can't just go to Dantooine. We need someone to cover for us while we're there."
"Certainly. I'll take you there, and I'll cover for you with the Council."
"Thank you, Master Secura."
The Next Day at Dantooine...
"Where's Karlia?"
"She's sleeping, Barriss."
"Is she okay?"
"Yes, or she seems to be now, at least. She...had an accident yesterday. The accident revealed that she's Force sensitive," Barella said, "she was in her crib, and she floated out of the crib, on her own, before she fell to the floor outside the crib."
"Did it hurt her?"
"No. I checked, but I don't think anything's wrong. You're welcome to check. I know Barriss is a healer, so..."
Ahsoka slipped her hand into mine, and we walked inside. As Barella had said, Karlia was sleeping peacefully in her crib, and I could see her tiny chest moving. I picked her up gently, and then tapped into the Force, a wave of healing energy sweeping across her to mend any unseen wounds from her accident. While I was tapping the Force, I felt the signature void in the Force I had come to attribute to the Yuuzhan Vong.
"Shit. The Yuuzhan Vong are here. Barella, get out of here. Take Karlia and go. We'll fight the Vong. If we don't make it...if you're left to raise her, tell her, when you believe she's ready, that her parents died to save her. Take good care of her, Barella."
"I will, Barriss. But I have faith that you'll both survive."
"You've never seen the Yuuzhan Vong before. There is a good chance we won't. Now get out of here!"
"Fine. But once Karlia's safe, I'm coming back for you two, understood?"
"No. Don't. It's too dangerous. It's bad enough she might not have her parents, she should at least have an aunt to take care of her."
Barella first pulled on her backpack, then let her transformation occur, and she melted down into a massive gray and white wolf with a backpack on her back.
Put Karlia inside the backpack. I'll get her out of here, Barella said in my head, staring at me with her green eyes.
I obeyed, and Barella loped away through the tall grass. Ahsoka and I activated our lightsabers, and walked outside. By the time the Yuuzhan Vong transports had landed, Barella was out of sight, likely bounding to safety. I stared in the direction she had gone, and then a tall, green-clad figure appeared, rising from the ground with its back turned. I could see a pack on the figure's back, so I could tell it was Barella. The figure started running as we got the Vong soldiers' attention. They advanced on us, and we stood back to back.
"Ready, Ahsoka?"
She nodded.
"Yes."
Don't you just love cliffhangers? I do! Hence why I put one in. And yet again, do I still have to say it, Barella does not belong to me, but rather MJ's Angel, who wrote Barriss's Secrets, a wonderful story, and one of the first stories I read on Fanfiction. I have read that story several dozen times by now, probably.