Hiya! I'm back! Sorry for taking so long. I had a lot of stuff to deal with which was vey stressful and it might explain why this chapters feels odd. Well, it does to me anyway. Soo anyhow, welcome to Tatooine, Mos Eisely! Yay for a new planetary arc that hopefully won't suck. Fingers crossed, people! Okay, serious time. Notes:

1) I know a lot of people love Tatooine and it's an iconic planet so I tried really hard to make this chapter a good one. Is it good? I'll let you be the judge.

2) This is a very Jayden-centric chapter so apologies to anybody who doesn't like him (*cough*cough* my sister*cough*cough*), but I can't change that - a fact is a fact.

3) Hope you like the mention of a new character in this whole thing. Not to spoil anything, but she'll be playing a very important role in the story to come.

4) Apologies for any typos and autocorrect in this nearly 11000 words chapter that I didn't spot. I was tired when proofreading this gigantic thing. And yes, readers on fanfiction dot net this will be split up into two parts for you since that website has a 10000 word cap per part.

5) Thanks for sticking with me this long! Enjoy!

=====SW: LB=======

Chapter 42 - What happens in Mos Eisely...

Jayden Callen glanced over the systems readouts one more time before turning to leave the cockpit. The report had come up all green and he was leaving the Storm and Alana in the best ha-pardon, mechanical appendages possible. Still, Jayden couldn't shake the odd feeling that was surrounding him. Making a left turn in the common room, Jayden walked into his quarters. As soon as he pressed a button on the control panel the door obediently slid closed behind him and the lights flickered on. Jayden promptly shut the lights off again as the light of Tatooine's twin suns streaming through his viewport was more than enough. Jayden cast a cursory glance around his room, checking that everything was as he had left it last night. It was a silly worry, but Jayden knew from personal experience that it never hurt to be too careful. However, he needn't have worried. The black and grey wardrobe still stood calmly bolted down to the left side of the room opposite to the lather large bed the navy and white covers on which were neatly done, the viewports weren't tinted since Jayden had forgotten about how glaring the suns on Tatooine were, his desk stood in another corner and the holoterminal beside it was silent - no missed calls then. Jayden sighed and went to sit on his bed. He knew that if he turned around he'd find a rarity that he'd stuck to the wall - a real paper photo of him and his family, it was something he had saved - a piece of a shattered past. Jayden's room was neat and spacious, not cluttered up and filled with unnecessary objects. Jayden had never quite gotten used to the prospect of being able to have what he wanted where he wanted it, nor had the idea of having something that belonged just to you lost it's novelty to him even though it had been 5 years since he had acquired the Storm. It seemed his past would haunt him wherever he went and whatever he did would reflect it, though in this particular case it was probably more of a good thing rather than a bad one. Jayden shook his head and stood up, forcing himself to focus - he needed to find the medic that TK's contact had told the astromech about.

Jayden walked over to wardrobe and after entering the correct code opened it and started rifling through his clothes. On the one hand he has the option of going in as Shadow as the suit was equipped with a climate control function so he wouldn't boil alive in it, but on the other hand perhaps something a little less conspicuous was better since Shadow unexpectedly showing up in Mos Eisely was bound to turn some heads and the Spectrewolf could catch wind of this. Jayden frowned and after deliberating for a moment chose to go with some a lot less conspicuous, but something that would still hide his identity and keep him from suffocating in the desert (he had a feeling he'd end up there in any case). It took a moment before Jayden selected a light brown shirt, the same shaded trousers, a pair of white gauntlets to which he attached his comlink and remote controls for certain objects, his usual black belt and an ammunitions strap across his chest and to top it off he grabbed a long white sleeveless cloak with a hood which would reflect Tatooine's blazing sunlight and hide his clan mark that he had on his top's shoulder . He changed out his usual black shoes for a beige pair with climate control installed and tied a grey facemask around his neck which he would pull up later. Jayden pulled on the cloak and fastened it over his chest, but didn't pull the hood up. He gave a small nod - this should do. Stars, he hated choosing clothes. Jayden neatly folded his usual clothes away and put them at the bottom of his wardrobe before closing it again.

He glanced at his chrono to see that it was late morning at this point so he better get moving. With those thoughts in mind Jayden left his quarters and started heading towards the ship's exit when he suddenly felt a weak tug on his mind. It was nearly undetectable, but it was there. Jayden made himself focus for a moment and a second later he realised it was Alana reaching out to him through their bond, he couldn't quite make out what it was, but she seemed to be trying to ask him something. Jayden shook his head tiredly, deciding to go to the Medbay to tell her to quit being such an idiot and to save her energy - stars knew she'd need it. Jayden sighed upon arriving at the doorway to the medbay- he hoped she wouldn't try to argue with him about this, but knowing Alana it was highly probable that she would. He just wished that she would let herself rely on him for a bit even though he knew that that wish was highly hypocritical of him and that he in no shape or form deserved anyone's trust. Damn it, why did he always find his thoughts wandering in this direction lately?! He'd been just fine with no one trusting him and no one having any real connection to him before she stood in his path! Why was he letting himself be affected by her so much? Why had she even crossed paths with him? And then there was the question of where he would be without her at this point? So many questions, the answers to which he did not know. Jayden mentally slapped himself to snap out of it and knocked on the door. It slid aside a moment later permitting him to enter. Jayden saw Alana resting in bed with her eyes closed and looking paler than ever, TK was nowhere to be seen so he guessed the droid was wandering the ship again. Jayden frowned: leaving Alana alone now probably was not the best idea the tin can had ever had. As if sensing that his thoughts had drifted in her direction, the aforementioned sick girl forced her eyes to open. Shivering and pulling her blankets up to her neck, Alana hoarsely and barely audibly whispered:

-...Jayden?

The young man nodded and his lips tugged up into a small smile, hiding his concern he sat down next to the bed she was lying on. He could see the unhealthy glint in her eyes and her flushed cheeks as well as the traces of some strange purple lines on her neck - this was worrying. Still, he didn't want her freaking out over it so Jayden just smiled and spoke:

-Hey, you're awake. How are you feeling? We were worried when you collapsed yesterday.

Alana's brows furrowed as she struggled to remember and her head unexpectedly gave a violent throb that made her face scrunch up, betraying her pain. Her mind was hazy, her limbs felt like lead and any sort of movement hurt like crazy, including speech. Alana opened her mouth to try and speak when Jayden suddenly shook his head:

-It's alright. You don't have to talk out loud if it hurts.

Alana managed a weak grateful smile before closing her eyes. She tried out speaking with Jayden over their Force Bond:

-Jayden, what happened to me?

The Mandolorian sighed and shrugged:

-We're not really sure, but you're very sick. You have to stay in bed and rest up while I go look for a medic.

Alana's eyes shot open:

-No, come on, Jayden- I'll be fine. I just pushed myself too far! There's no need to go to all this trouble for me!

Jayden exhaled and shook his head, speaking out loud:

-Alana, you really are an idiot. You're really sick and I hate to say this, but I don't like the way this looks. It's definitely something bigger than just exhaustion if the purple lines running up your neck are any indication. We're on Tatooine right now and I'm going to find someone who can help you whether you like it or not. And I'll only say this once so listen up - you are not a burden to TK or myself, we're a team. Now, you better stay in bed or I swear will knock you out to ensure that. Do you understand?

Alana sighed, but gave a small reluctant nod upon seeing the firm look in Jayden's green eyes. There were a few minutes of silence in which Alana closed her eyes before opening them again when she felt something cool on her forehead. Jayden had placed a damp, clean strip of fabric on her forehead and tucked her hair out of her eyes. Alana smiled and whispered:

-Thank...you...

Jayden shook his head:

-No need for that. This is an old method, but it's effective. You have a high fever so try to get some sleep and rest up. TK will stay here with you so if you need anything or feel even worse just press the call button on your comlink that's next to you and he'll be here. Alana, stay alive and fight this off. Alright?

Alana nodded and winced at the pain that action brought. Jayden made himself stand up and pull his hood up. He turned to leave the Medbay, but paused in the doorway. He cast a discreet glance over his shoulder to see Alana close her eyes again and her breathing become even - this brief time she had spent awake had drained all her energy, making her fall asleep. Jayden sighed and started walking towards the ramp and after giving a single meaningful look to TK he left the ship.

The very warm and arid atmosphere of Tatooine instantly assaulted him and Jayden thanked the stars his clothes were made of a material that would reflect the heat so he wouldn't boil alive. Jayden pulled up his facemask and started walking away from the ship, his mind completely focusing on the mission at hand. He had landed in Docking Bay 35 in Mos Eisely so that meant he would end up on Straiht Street after walking out of here. Jayden ran over a mental map of Mos Eisely in his head and plotted out his course. He would need to go down Straiht street to Kerner Plaza, cut across the plaza so he could avoid the corporation road and he'd need to go past the Jawa traders and the Dim-U monastery to finally end up at Chalmun's spaceport cantina. As the hot suns over Tatooine beat down on the bare skin on his hands, Jayden tightened them into fists, reminding himself once again to keep a grip on his temper - this was no time to lose his cool. There were probably quite a few people who'd love to shoot him on sight here and nobody would bat an eyelash at that - Jayden just hoped they wouldn't recognise him, though the prospect of meeting them meant nothing to Jayden. He snorted: if he had a credit for every gang and organisation that had put a price on his head or tried to kill him he'd be swimming in money. Still, the thought of meeting a certain Wookiee again made Jayden a bit happy - if there was one being on this accursed planet Jayden had missed it was Chalmun. Jayden had left Tatooine a little under a decade ago and had vowed to never set foot upon it's sands again, but the cruel hand of Fate had drawn him here. Or had it been the will of the Force? Either way, Jayden had broken his vow and he hated it. Jayden hated Tatooine and he hated it's most notorious practice even more, but still he had to find this rumoured medic for Alana and if that meant dealing with the vermin on this planet then so be it. Jayden payed the toll droid at the exit of the docking bay and stepped out onto the bustling streets of Mos Eisely. Jayden frowned beneath his mask when was met with an all too familiar scene - in the last 10 years Mos Eisely had not changed a bit. The sunlit streets were still full of sand, filled with beings of all races milling about, they were still loud as well as crowded and you were still likely to get run over by a Ronto or Dewback or trip over an occasional Jawa. Bitterly, Jayden mumbled:

-Hello, childhood memories. How I missed you.

Jayden shook his head and adjusted his hood before blending into crowd, setting off down Straiht road. As he passed different stalls and picked up many different voices, scents and languages (the most common one being Huttese), Jayden inwardly cursed whatever force had brought him here. The sooner he got to Chalmun's cantina the better, there he'd be able to ask a certain somebody who was hiding out about this medic as well as pick up some of the rumours. After all, what better place than a cantina to catch up with the towns incessant rumour mill?

==SW: LB==

TK made sure that the ramp had closed behind him before locking down the ship and moving away from it. TK didn't want to leave the sick Jedi alone, but his contacted had requested that they meet soon and since TK was on the planet he had no choice but to agree. The droid kept up a constant connection with the computers that were responsible for monitoring Alana's life support so he believed he'd have a warning if something went wrong, he just hoped nothing would though his luck was bound to not be that great.

TK grumbled a bit inwardly at how annoying the rough, sandy surface of Tatooine was to traverse for a droid. It was hard to believe that this had once been a planet with lush rainforests and wide oceans that covered it's surface, but that had once been so. It had all changed when Tatooine's original native species, the technologically advanced Kumumgah, had started colonising the nearby star systems and as a consequence they drew the attention of the power-hungry Rakata. The Rakata conquered the planet and enslaved the species, but many years later the Kumumgah rebelled and nearly succeeded in taking back their homeworld. As a response the furious Rakata subjected the flourishing planet to an orbital bombardment that "glassed" the planet and boiled away the once vast oceans - that was how the sandy dustball came to be. TK had not been around when Tatooine was still a jungle world, but from his previous experiences on this planet he had no doubts that his version of it's history was true. Well, as true as any historical theory could be. In any case, this loose sand was annoying and TK hoped for his contact's sake he would be at the meeting spot.

All of the spaceport city was mostly filled with square sandstone buildings with domed roofs, varying in size and occasionally in shape. The harsh light of the sun's beat down upon the city, bleaching what little colour it had into the duller shades - in reality Mos Eisely was almost painful to look at because it was so bright, especially with the Jundland Wastes surrounding it. The city was originally constructed to be a commerce oriented city and to some degree it was, but many people preferred to go to Anchorhead which lay about 80 kilometres south. The city was actually much larger than it looked, a lot of it lay underground and the population of Mos Eisely was roughly 40 to 60 thousand beings, varying seasonally. The city was divided into 2 parts: the old quarter and the new quarter. In one trade flourished while the other became a hotspot for varying types of crime. Things like smuggling, fights, bounty hunters taking care of targets, slavery and generally anything civilised planets didn't allow were normal here. TK disliked the planet just as much as he had the last 20 times he'd been here, it wasn't just the physical aspects or the Trade he disliked - he had issues with the beings here too, namely creatures called Jawas. TK felt his circuits heating up at the mere mention of those uncouth, primitive, bold, infuriating beings - for force's sake , he was not some moisture vaparator to be disassembled and the put back together!

Still inwardly fuming, TK arrived at the meeting site and saw a red protocol droid waiting for him in the shadows the Jango Fett Arena (an arena where giant beast battled giant beast for the public's sick entertainment) cast. TK rolled up to the droid and instantly demanded confirmation of his identity. The scarlet protocol droid gave a small bow and responded:

-Under the twin suns our shadows amass into an army.

-Beep. Dee-wheep-blip-dwoo?

-Yes, I have infiltrated the Desilijic complex and I have managed to acquire a holo of the brilliant young medic.

TK tilted his head to the side and whistled a query:

-Dee-whop-reet-krip-krip?

-Of course. You are our leader.

The protocol droid activated the holorecorder he had had in his hand. A blue-white holographic image of a young, female togruta popped up. TK elicited a shrill beep of surprise and the crimson protocol droid explained:

-This is the one they call the Miracle Healer or more commonly the Kehopua. Her origins and reasons for being on Tatooine are unknown, she is somewhat of an urban myth here. However, I have managed to uncover her name - Risha Zyran. She is a togruta by race and despite the myths she shouldn't be that hard to find due to her demeanour.

-Bee-dee-wheet-ree-woo. Bloop-dee-gree-dwoo-whop?

-I am afraid we don't know her current whereabouts: she disappeared from all of our scanners a little over a week ago. However she was last seen in the vicinity of Carnthout, in the northeast Dune Sea not too far from a sandpeople camp.

-Dee-dwoo?!

-No, oddly they welcome her. I speculate that the rumours of her skill have even reached these primitive creatures. Thats all we know so far.

TK gave a low string of beeps, sounding oddly like a sigh. He then took the holorecorder he'd been offered. TK thanked the informant who gave a small nod before trotting away hurriedly, he didn't want his master to notice his absence after all.

TK gave a thoughtful whistle before unexpectedly using his scanners to try and locate the idiot captain. He had to pass this onto him. However before he could even pinpoint his location a warning started flashing and the astromech received a message from the Storm's computers that the patient's life signs were dropping at an alarming rate. Cursing his luck, TK chose to just format the information he'd received along with the holo into a message and send it to the idiot captain before activating his thrusters and taking off from the back lanes over Paradise Road and Spacers Row - towards Docking Bay 35.

==SW: LB==

Jayden sighed when he finally got rid of a rather persistent Jawa that had been tailing him for the past half and hour and offering him products. He'd been a little too afraid of stepping on the little creature that came up to his knee to take any definitive measures. Still, he was making good progress and was now a few meters away from the entrance of Chalmun's Spaceport Cantina where he knew he could get a reprieve from the scorching heat of Tatooine's suns. As Jayden entered the Cantina he couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious- would his old friend recognise him? It had been 10 years after all and he had grown quite a bit as well as matured. Jayden was no longer that weak, scrawny little boy that was terrified of speaking a word and ran away to a big muscular Wookie who would protect him while he only reached the wookie' kneecap in height. Jayden now stood at approximately 1.83 meters (about 6 feet) and had a lean, but strong body - he had made a name for himself as a feared bounty hunter in the most elite house in the Bounty Hunter's guild, he would no longer cower. However that didn't mean he didn't miss the sense of safety the big Wookie had also given him. Jayden shook his head at his thoughts - even if Chalmun didn't recognise him, it was alright. He'd remind him and thank him anyway.

Having explored the Cantina from top to bottom when he'd last been here Jayden was oddly relieved to find that it hadn't changed much. It seemed business was booming for his Wookie friend. The Cantina was a single-storey building made of sandstone, inside it consisted of a bar area, three private offices, something akin to a VIP lounge (though no one had much of a clue why Chalmun had named it that and those who dared ask were often left without a limb or two - the Wookie was very protective over his creations), a private hangar, a band are, a basement where the bartenders Wuher or Ackmena (they worked different shifts) would come up with new drinks along with Chalmun and of course there was that phoney shop out back. All in all the Cantina could house up to 120 humanoids .Jayden smiled beneath his face mask when he saw the same gruff bartender perhaps a bit older behind the bar - Wuher, hadn't changed too much.

Jayden could barely conceal the happy grin on his face as he sauntered up to the bar and leaned against the counter. Wined turned to him and frowned:

-So what'd you want?

Jayden struggled to keep his voice neutral as he replied:

-A Tatooine Sunset, just hold back on the alcohol.

The human bartender gave an affirmative grunt and ducked below the bar counter to gather the necessary ingredients. Jayden gave a tiny sigh, he hoped a cool drink would clear his head a bit so the last thing he wanted was to get inebriated in the middle of the job. While Wuher set about mixing the drink he cast an inquisitive look at the customer who had ordered it. Curious, he gruffly inquired:

-You a lightweight or somethin'?

The customer laughed and shook his head, prompting Wuher to notice how young he seemed. And how eerily familiar too. Amusement in his voice the mysterious young man replied:

-Not exactly. I just need a clear head now so alcohol won't help.

-Are you even of age, kid?

The young man leaned his head to the side in an amused manner:

-Who in the Galaxy cares about my age here, Wuher? And as far as I remember I don't remember you being the inquisitive type.

The bartender started at the young man's words - that intonation and tone of voice! He had known it was him! Wuher struggled to remain nonchalant as he handed the kid his glass. Even though he had been expecting to see a familiar face Wuher was still startled to find that he had indeed been right in his suspicions. And yet the kid had really changed since he'd last seen him - he'd definitely grown much taller and had some muscle on him, his face had matured as he grew older and there was something about the way he held himself, an aura almost that warned people not to do anything stupid. Wuher gave a surprised look before snorting in amusement:

-Well, you've got that right, kid - no one gives a flying banthanerf here whether you're 15 or 95.

-What happens on Tatooine stays on Tatooine, right? Especially if it's your corpse.

-Hey, so ya were listening, ignorant brat.

Jayden laughed as he clasped the bartender's outstretched coarse hand:

-I just pretended not to, grouchy man.

Wuher chuckled and let the kid get back to his drink while he poured a Hutt's Delight, a Yatooni Boska and a Tatooni Junko for a group of 3: a male Aqualish, a female orange-skinned zabrak and a white-furred Cathar of the same gender. Once done he headed back over to Jayden who had placed the credits for the drink on the counter and was now absentmindedly swirling the remainder of his drink around with a stirrer. Wuher sighed and decided to cut straight to the chase:

-I'm guessing you didn't come here to reminisce?

Jayden gave him a wry smile and a small nod:

-Yeah. No offence to you guys, but I'd rather never set foot on this dustball again. Wuher, I need to see the Big Boss - Chalmun. I have a problem and he's the only one who I can trust to help me with this.

The bartender gave Jayden a crooked smile:

-Well, you're in luck - both he and Ackmena are in the office now. I trust you know the way?

Jayden grinned as he pulled his face mask back up to cover his face up to his nose. Jayden nodded:

-Yeah, I do.

==SW: LB==

Alana felt as though she was drifting below water, warm calm water - like the water in something akin to a bath. The water was gently cradling her within itself, soothing her and making her feel safe and protected. Her limbs felt lighter than ever and her eyelids slid open effortlessly. The first thing Alana realised was that she was no longer in the Storm's medbay, but rather in a place that was coloured in gentle blue-green hues and with rippling lights - like she really was underwater. This all felt so surreal, like the time she had nearly died by the hands of Rrask and had met her Sith grandfather (she still wasn't sure if she should believe him or not). Was she dying again? Was the Force messing with her mind once more? This silence... Softly, with traces of wonder in her voice, Alana murmured:

-Am I really looking death in the face again?

She hadn't been expecting one, but she got an answer to her question. A gentle, female voice responded this time:

-Yes,though I wish dearly that that was not so.

Alana sighed inwardly: she should totally have been expecting this, didn't it happen the last couple of times? Slightly frustrated, Alana huffed and muttered:

-For sanity's sake, Force, will you stop messing with me?!

It seemed that the newcomer, a woman, had heard her as she gave a laugh:

-It is trying to help you, you know.

-Yeah, making me go insane is very helpful!

Alana finally turned around to look at the newcomer and was a little surprised to see an odd woman looking back at her. The woman had flowing, shiny grey-silver hair that was wavy at the ends like Alana's and eyes that were only a few hues lighter than her hair, she looked to be in her late 20s or very early 30s. There was something about her that seemed oddly familiar to Alana and it took her a few moments to realise that the woman had a fairly similar facial structure to her. Alana looked at the woman suspiciously:

-Who are you?

The woman smiled and took a step forward, reaching out to touch Alana's cheek:

-You look so much like your mother and myself. There are traces of your father in you too, but not much of Kayin. I bet that drives him up the wall.

Alana looked at the woman in stunned silence before whispering:

-You knew my grandfather? And my parents?

The ghost-like lady nodded:

-I did. My name was and is Ala'ila Kalean. I'm your paternal grandmother, Alana.

Alana's breath caught in her throat and she took a step back from shock, letting her light caramel-brown hair fall back to frame her face. Her expression was a mix of shock, disbelief, wonder, fear and joy - all at the same time. Alana didn't want to disbelieve this woman, but right now her heart was just too fragile to accept the fact that there was someone who she could trust, she probably should trust. Losing Kii had hurt and her falling had broken her heart, she didn't want it hurt again. Alana shook her head, the light in her midnight blue eyes wavering:

-No, that's not true.

Ala'ila gave a sad smile:

-I know this is hard to believe, but I swear it is the truth.

Alana stubbornly shook her head again:

-No. Why now? Why out of all times in the world do you show up when I'm at death's door?! And he did too! I'm grateful, don't get me wrong, but why didn't you talk to me before?! Why will no one give me any answers?! Do any of you really care about me?!

Ala'ila's face betrayed her pain, her hand was clutched over her chest as she took a step towards her granddaughter:

-We do care! Alana, please-

Alana rapidly blinked and turned her back to Ala'ila, shoving away all her feelings of hurt, pain and abandonment. She wanted to know the people who were her family, but it hurt! Six years with no word on anything! She had been terrified, lost and confused and they hadn't even shown up! Who would claim that they cared and yet leave a 10 year old child all alone on an abandoned world?! Who did that?! She knew that she was being unfair and perhaps acting like a brat, but six years of pain wouldn't magically disappear with just one glance. Voice betraying a mix of anger and sadness, Alana whispered:

-I just want to know why. Why?

-Why what?

Alana whirled around, anger and hurt blazing in her dark blue eyes:

-You claim to care. So why did you all abandon me on a dead world?! Why did you never come looking for me?! Why have you never shown up before?! Not so much as message in six freaking years! I have amnesia! I have no clue who I am and where I came from! I don't even know my parent's names! Why? All I want to know is why. What did I do? How can I fix it? Please, tell me!

Ala'ila sighed, a conflicted expression on her face:

-I wish I could tell you. The truth is - I do not know. I died when my son was only 8 years old and I could only watch over him like this, through the Force so I don't know all.

Alana's eyes widened:

-You're dead?

Ala'ila nodded and gave a small sad smile:

-I'm afraid so. While I do not know my son all too well, I can promise you that what he did and what your mother did was done to save you. To make sure you would live on. Alana, they both love you and would give their lives for yours. I can promise you they never wanted to leave you all alone, but they had no choice.

Alana covered her face with her hands and her crouched down. In a choked up voice she whispered:

- There's always a choice. Who were they? Or are. I just want to know who the people who gave me a chance at life were.

Ala'ila crouched down and wrapped her arms around her grandchild's trembling form:

-I'm sorry we hurt you. Sometimes I think this family is cursed. I just hope it doesn't befall you. I'm sorry, sweetheart. I'm so sorry. Please, forgive us.

Alana's arms instinctively wrapped around her grandmother's back and to her dismay tears began to rim her eyes. Damn it, she was turning into a real crybaby lately. Ala'ila sighed and stroked her grandchild's head. The Force truly was a mysterious thing. It had torn this family apart so many times and had caused them so much grief and pain, while it had also protected her grandchild and still did. The Force gave Alana a chance to live. Ala'ila finally understood what Kayin had meant when he thought that Alana looked like her - she really did. Alana had her mother's dark blue eyes and her father's caramel-brown hair, but her facial features and hair quality was purely hers. Ala'ila was proud of her granddaughter- she was growing up to be a strong woman who could use the Force to protect those that she cared about and those who could not protect themselves. Alana would never be a Jedi or a Sith- that much was certain, but even then she had the potential to become something much greater. After all words like "Jedi" and "Sith" were just that - words, and they shouldn't define a person. Ala'ila was an Iened, her son had the blood of the Sith flowing through him - he was a child of Ceperion, Alana's mother was a pure Arokorian, her Kayin was also of Sith blood and Alana's maternal grandparents were Arokorians through and through and then there was her. It seemed to Ala'ila that perhaps they and not the Force were to blame for the fate they had bestowed upon this child. She would never truly be a fully whole being, never belonging anywhere - such was the fate of a mixed blood. She was neither a child of Aroko, nor of Ceperion and definitely not of Ienam, but Ala'ila loved her nevertheless. She had never gotten to meet Alana when she was alive so this moment was precious to her, so, so precious. Softly, Ala'ila whispered:

-Your parents. Do you really want to know their names? I can't tell you more than that.

Alana looked up and nodded:

-Yes. Even that much is enough. I'll probably die soon anyway.

Ala'ila gave her a stern look:

-Never say that and never believe that. If I could make it off a planet teeming with Sith with a newborn and still recovering from giving birth to him then you can beat this illness. Alana, remember: our family though cursed never dies easy. If we've got to die then we're going to go out fighting. I know that you're like this too.

Alana nodded and Ala'ila smiled:

-Good. Before I tell you their names, you should probably know something. I keep saying that this family is cursed and though that may be dramatic it's the truth. Kayin's parents, Kayin and I, your mother and father - our love, our bonds were broken easily. We were never given the chance to be a normal family. I never married Kayin, just like your mother never married your father and you were born an illegitimate child. This curse is cruel - it makes it so we can never have a happy life and that those we grow close to will always leave us. Your mother was a strong and truly wonderful woman, she was someone who everyone looked up to - her name was Neerean Coran. Your father, my son, also was a remarkable person and though he hurt both you and your mother horribly he did it to keep you safe just like I did when I hid him from his father - my son's name was...it was... Eren Sheelor. Your parents names were Neerean Coran and Eren Sheelor.

Alana's eyes widened with wonder as she slowly absorbed this new information and Ala'ila smiled. She knew her time with her granddaughter was coming to a close, the Force could not permit her to stay here much longer and she still had not accomplished what she had set out to do. Ala'ila closed her silver eyes for a moment before speaking seriously:

-Alana, I came here for a reason - to help sustain your life Force. You may not be a pure blooded Iened like me, but I can awaken the blood within you to keep this disease at bay.

Alana's eyes widened a fraction as something clicked:

-Wait a second, that abnormal healing rate I have is due to-

Ala'ila nodded:

-Yes, you are not human, Alana.

-What?!

-I'm sorry to tell you this, but you're not of the human race. Neither am I or your relatives. We're all an offshoot of the human species, but don't worry there's nothing to drastic that separates us from them. Our biology is almost identical but there are quite a few differences - your eye colour is a prime example. I want to give you a fighting chance, will you let me?

-How?

-I will use the Force to drive the disease away in a way none of your Jedi ever could.

-You can use the Force?!

Ala'ila laughed:

-Yes. Now, will you let me heal you?

Alana sighed and nodded, relaxing her body and closing her eyes:

-Yes, please.

-Good. Trust me, please.

-I will do my best.

-That's all I ask for.

Ala'ila pressed her hand against the girl's forehead while the other hand rested over Alana's heart. She pulled on the Force and it responded wrapping around her and flowing smoothly like a river she was directing. The Force wrapped around Alana and the teenager suddenly felt weird. Had Alana opened her eyes she would have noticed lines that had spread all along Ala'ila's body - her species mark, it only materialised when one used the Force. Alana unexpectedly felt as though someone had lit up a blazing white inferno in her chest and it was slowly driving the disease back. When she felt Ala'ila's hands disappear from her Alana opened her eyes and was somewhat shocked to see her grandmother gone. She called out instinctually:

-Grandmother?

A warm and happy voice responded:

-Stay safe, Alana. I will always watch over you. Beat this disease and beat the curse. I love you.

Alana nodded and looked up at the watery surface. She wouldn't let her grandmother down even though she had not forgiven any of them for leaving her behind. Well, if she had accepted that her grandmother was that ghost-like woman she had no choice but to accept the fact that her grandfather was the Dark Lord of the Sith. Stars and Heavens above, what a messed up family she had.