CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE:

~Valora Zatoq's POV

It was quiet. Too quiet. Yet at the same time far too loud. I had to get away.

I left the camp and went into the woods to try and meditate. I quickly discovered when you are panicking meditation doesn't exactly want to come easily. So, I gave up and sat down at the base of a tree, hugging my legs to my chest.

It probably wasn't the Jedi way to panic. I could not possibly care less. It's not like I'm going to be a Jedi forever. As soon as this war is over I'm gone. No more fighting. No more Jedi-like things. A fresh start.

Hearing footsteps, I looked over to see Cody approaching.

"I have come to see what is wrong with our lovely general," he says as he walks over and sits next to me.

"The men will talk."

"Nah. Like I said, they think I'm going to see what's wrong with you. They won't talk or bother us."

"Nice."

"So," He puts an arm around me and I lean into him. "What's wrong?"

"I'm scared. I'm scared of Grievous. He has killed so many Jedi. I don't want to be next. I don't want to die, Cody." I look up at him. "I don't want to die."

Cody pushes a stray strand of hair behind my ear then caresses my cheek.

"You are not going to die, Valora, and neither am I," he says softly.

"Promise?" I ask as he wraps his arms around me and buries his face in my neck.

"I promise," he replies into my neck, causing me to chuckle at his muffled voice.

Cody kisses the crook of my neck, and then kisses up my neck and across my jaw until his lips find mine.

"Why can't it be like this all the time?" I ask with a sigh.

"Because, Valora, the galaxy is not exactly fair."

"Sadly."

Up in the sky, I notice a Republic gunship enter the atmosphere. It was probably Obi-Wan Kenobi having returned from Coruscant. My heart sank. As soon as he arrived I would be shipped away from here. Shipped away from Cody. And who knows when we would be able to see each other again.

"Looks like Obi-Wan is back," I say, standing.

"Yeah," Cody says, also standing.

"I love you, Cody."

"I love you too, Valora."

I give him a sad smile and then we walk back to the camp. A few of the men ask if I'm okay. Cody and I lied and told them I was doing Jedi things to prepare for the coming battle.

The gunship landed at the camp and out came Obi-Wan. Then the gunship took back off to the Star Cruiser in orbit. I guess I get to stay. I do not deny I was happy for that.

"Greetings, Obi-Wan. I take it I'm staying?" I asked as the fellow Jedi walked over.

"Indeed. I am going to be hunting Grievous while you fight with the troops, unless I need assistance."

I honestly was not expecting that. Obi-Wan probably could sense my surprise because of what he says next.

"Yes, don't worry. You are a strong warrior Valora, but you wouldn't last long against Grievous."

"I guess not."

"Ready for the fight to begin once again?"

"Is 'no' an acceptable answer?"

Obi-Wan laughs.

~Commander Cody's POV

"WATCH YOUR LEFT!"

"MAN DOWN!"

"WHAT I WOULDN'T GIVE FOR A PLATE OF SWEET CAKES."

"CUT THE UNNECESSARY COMMENTS, RAMBLE."

"SORRY SIR!"

I slapped a fresh magazine into my blaster and quickly unloaded into the approaching line of droids. My men and I cut through the droids like a well-oiled machine. I had no idea where Valora was. An hour or so into the fighting she had run off to help in another part of the battle.

Part of me was worried for Valora, but she was a Jedi and I knew she could handle herself. She had her lightsaber and the Force. Also Grievous wasn't anywhere near here. I hope.

Suddenly, something landed on the ground beside me. I looked down to see General Kenobi's lightsaber. After I emptied another magazine into the droid lines and reloaded I bent down and picked it up.

General Kenobi probably just dropped it. He was too skilled to die. Also I refused to consider that he had died and Grievous was after Valora next.

Then I heard that weird noise the native varactyl make…right on the sink hole wall above me. I looked up to see the General himself on a tamed varactyl named Boga that he had been riding around as he hunted Grievous.

"I think you dropped this, sir," I said, tossing it up to him.

"Thank you, Cody!" Kenobi replied, catching his weapon and riding off along the wall of the sink hole.

I turned back to the fight, shooting down droid after droid. Then my comlink went off. I frowned, taking it off my belt and answering it.

The holo was of Chancellor Palpatine.

"Execute Order 66," he said.

"Yes, sir," I replied and then the transmission ended.

I clipped the comlink back to my belt then I froze, remembering what Order 66 was. It was the Order to kill all Jedi generals. I pulled myself together and looked over at General Kenobi astride Boga, riding along the sink hole wall.

"Order 66 has been issued, boys," I said over the secure comm in everyone's helmets. I pointed at General Kenobi then yelled, "FIRE!"

A barrage of blaster fire rained down on General Kenobi. One of the shots found its mark on Boga, and the two went down, falling towards the bottom of the sinkhole to their deaths.

I watched them fall. They had to be dead. That's why I waved off a clone named Zip who asked if we should go and check for a body. No one could have survived that fall. Not even a Jedi.

Suddenly, I realized Valora was out there somewhere and that she was a Jedi. Holding back several swear words I raced off.

Kriff it, kriff it, kriff it, KRIFF IT!

How could I be so stupid? Why did I have to tell everyone Order 66 had been issued? Now if Valora was near any other clones she would be shot and killed. All because I had to follow and alert everyone to one stupid Order.

I'm sorry, Valora that I couldn't just disobey just one order. I'm sorry. Please don't die. I need you.

I found her fighting at the edge of one of the nearby sinkholes. Just as I ran in the clones she was fighting alongside with turned their guns on her and fired.

Valora didn't scream, she just gasped as a few of the shots met their mark. If she had eyes, they would have met mine at that moment. She made no sound but mouthed a word.

Just one word.

My name.

Then Valora, the beautiful Miraluka Jedi I just so happened to love more than anything in this galaxy, fell over the edge and down, down, down to the bottom of the sink hole.

There was no way she could have survived.

Valora was dead.

Dont worry guys this is not the end! more than ten chapters to go! :)