Hey, guys! So, these next couple chapters are a bit longer than the first few. If y'all would prefer longer chapters, just let me know and I'll work real hard to make 'em longer. That being said, if they're longer, there might be a few more days between updates versus the shorter chapters with more frequent updates. Again, just let me know so I can please the crowd! So, thanks for reading and READ ON!
There was a dead Togruta laying on the floor. His tongue was hanging out of his mouth and there was a large burn hole on his back. He was right in the entryway so I stepped over him to get farther into the apartment. Everything else seemed to in order except there was a piece of cloth in the corner of the room. I walked over to it, grabbing it.
As soon as I touched it, screams filled my ears. Fear. Anger. Pain. I felt them all so, so, strongly. There was a knock on the door. I couldn't move. I was bound in the corner. The cloth was in my mouth, keeping my voice muffled.
"Look what you've done." A voice said. The man the Nautolan described walked into my view. He wasn't either of the first two Jedi chasing me. But, he took his lightsaber off his belt and stood next to the door. He opened the door and let the Togruta walk in the door before igniting his blade through his back. I screamed through the cloth. The blade was red.
A gasp escaped my lips as I stood up abruptly. I dropped the cloth, watching it hit the floor. I was here. I was there. In that corner. I watched the man kill that Togruta. Once again, tears welled. How did I keep doing this? I backed up, just staring at the cloth. I felt cold. So, so cold. I pulled the cloak tighter around myself and turned to walk out of the main room. The hallway behind me led to a bedroom.
I hastily entered the room, looking for escape from the other room. A desk and chair sat in the corner with a bed in the other corner. It was simple. Neat. A data pad sat on the desk, it's soft glow a stark contrast to the dark room. I stepped forward tentatively, holding my hands close to my chest, careful not to touch anything. My heart beat loudly in my chest and ears, stomach in my chest. I peered down on the data pad. I read the small words on the screen.
Her powers become crazed, uncontrolled when she touches the dark side. Her fear and anger get the better of her sometimes, but she's quick to take a deep breath and calm down.
My curiosity got the better of me. I picked up the data pad without thinking and was thrown into another vision. Although, it wasn't a scene. It was just voices.
"She is... resilient."
"Yes, I figured she would be. She is much like her mother." Anger washed over the man. I felt it.
"Then she'll break."
"Perhaps, but don't fixate on it. She has years of Jedi training in her. Finish your study. Find her weakness."
"It will be done."
I gasped and realized I was gripping the data pad with clenched fists. I relaxed and loosened my grip on it, only to realize it was ice cold. Powers? My mother? Jedi training? My weakness? Once again, I was left with more questions than answers. I let out a sigh and continued reading the data pad.
Her powers seem to be opposite of mine. Ironic, but fitting. She becomes more upset when I mention her friends rather than when I inflict pain upon her. I believe I have found her weakness.
Was this data pad referring to me? It had to be. I was the one tied up in the corner with that cloth in my mouth. I bit my lower lip again and set the data pad back down. Nothing else seemed to be amiss. I backed out of the room and looked through the apartment for anything else.
A realization dawned on me. If he left this stuff here, he might want to come back for it. I didn't want to be here when he did. I felt bad leaving the dead Togruta here, but I couldn't exactly take him with me. I opened the door and ran out of the apartment, only to see the two Jedi just a few doors down. They seemed just as surprised to see me as I was to see them. How did they get here so quick? How did they keep finding me? Panicking, I took a step back, ready to bolt.
"W-wait!" The young one called to me, putting his hands out. I grabbed the chest of my cloak and held it to me tighter, furrowing my eyebrows upward and pressing my lips together, trying to keep them from quivering. Quit being a baby, I told myself. "We just want to talk." He said, gesturing to the older man next to him. I took another step back when he took one forward. The older man picked up on it and held a hand out in front of the younger one, stopping him from coming any closer. "My name is Anakin." He told me, putting a hand on his chest. "Anakin Skywalker. This is my friend, Obi-Wan. Kenobi." He put a hand out to his friend.
"You're Jedi." I said quietly. He smiled and nodded.
"Yes, yes, we are." He seemed happy. Genuinely happy. I don't know why, but I felt happy too. A sense of giddiness washed over me. The one named Obi-Wan smiled softly as well. "Did you know that you are too?" My heart leaped into my throat and my smile faltered.
"I know you?" He nodded enthusiastically, but meaningfully. "Do you-" I choked on my words, tearing up. I don't know why, but I felt the need to apologize. I told them sorry.
"Hey, it's okay." Anakin told me sentimentally. I felt it, his heart just broke. If they were being honest, if I did know them and I grew up with them as a Jedi, they knew everything about me. Yet, I knew nothing about myself. If it was true, this was probably just as hard for them as it was for me. "I know this is a lot to take in. Just take your time." I could feel Obi-Wan's poignant agony. Anakin looked back at him as I switched between them. I took a shaky breath.
"Do you.. know my name?" I hesitated, not sure how they'd react. Not really sure if I wanted to know how they'd react. A cold crept up my spine and I shivered slightly. But it wasn't the temperature. It was inside me. A laugh echoed from above us. The warmth inside me was replaced by a creeping fear. I backed away from the Jedi and turned around, only to see another man jump from several stories above to block my other way.
"Yes, go ahead, Jedi. Tell Valors her name." His voice was distorted by a mask.
"You called out to me as Kemara earlier." I turned to Anakin again, scared. I had no where to run.
"I did! That's your name!" He pled.
"Don't lie to her, Jedi." The man behind me snapped. I turned around to face him again. "You've lied to her enough. It's time you finally tell her the truth!" My eyes stung and I could feel myself breathing faster. The fury that emanated from the man in front of me distressed me. I took a step back, but quickly turned on my heel when I heard Anakin's voice.
"It is the truth!" He growled. I was trapped, not knowing who to believe.
"Generals!" I heard from behind the Jedi. Two people in white armor ran around the corner and stopped by Anakin and Obi-Wan. One had blue markings on his gear and the other had yellow.
"Valors, you know the truth. Come with me." I turned around again to see the man with the mask with his hand extended to me, inviting me to take his hand.
"Kemara, don't!" I turned around to see Anakin with his hand out as well. A tear ran down my cheek. So many emotions. "He's lying to you!" Desperation.
"I have never once lied to her!" Aggravation.
I curled my fists and squeezed my eyes shut, bowing my head.
"You're trying to trick her right now!" Anger.
I couldn't take it anymore. I brought my hands up to the sides of my head, trying to block out the commotion.
"I am trying to make her see the Jedi for who they are!" Bitterness.
"Enough!" I cried out and threw my arms out at each of them. The masked man and the one named Anakin each had to throw themselves back to keep from being impaled by the icicles that formed towards them. Did I? I looked down at my hands. I started to shake as more tears escaped. I did that.
"Rex, now!" Anakin yelled and I turned to face him to see a blue ring of energy hurtling towards me. Instinct took over and I threw my hands up in front of me and tucked my head, waiting for impact. And I stood there waiting. When I opened my eyes, I slowly looked up to see my wrists crossed. But beyond my crossed wrists and hands out in front of me, there was a large icicle pointing towards the sky. I gasped, but quickly looked for a way out. I had to go up. I jumped up onto the things I could grab and just kept jumping. I reached a roof and ran across it, jumping from roof to roof, tears blurring my vision.
"Kemara!" I heard from behind me. I looked over my shoulder and saw the older one. Obi-Wan. As I jumped over a gap in the roofs, I twisted and threw my hand out, throwing a flurry of snow and ice at the ground in front of him. He knelt and leapt through the air, flipping over me and landing on the other side of my roof. I tried to skid to a stop, but ending up tripping and stumbling to a stop in front of him. I backpedaled as he ran up to me with a hand extended in front of me. "Kemara! Stop! Breathe!" His words struck my core. The familiarity of the sincerity in his words made me freeze. I curled the fingers of my extended hand back up and brought the shaking fist to my chest, holding my cloak tightly against me.
"I-I-" Gasping for air, I couldn't think. I bowed my head and squeezed my eyes shut.
"I know how scary this must be for you, but you must breathe. Don't let your fear control you." I followed his instructions as best I could. Trying to even out my gasping breaths, I tried to make sense of everything. Obi-Wan hadn't tried to hurt me yet. He was trying to help. "You're doing good." I felt his gloved hands grasp the curled fingers over my chest. I opened my eyes slowly as I felt him calm me. He was kneeling next to me, holding my hand between his. I looked back to the ground, ashamed.
"I'm so sorry-" I gasped, the tears slowing. "He tried to stun me and I just-"
"I know, I know. Anakin just wanted to get you home without you hurting anyone or yourself. There is nothing to be regretful of. You are facing a very difficult path, but we're here to make sure you're not alone."
"Who am I?" I sobbed, looking up to him. I wasn't sure through my own blurry vision, but I thought I saw tears in his eyes. His eyebrows furrowed before his face softened and his lips lifted slightly.
"You are Kemara Arundel. Padawan of the Jedi Order..." He hesitated before continuing, his smile deepening slightly. "My Padawan." He told me, emphasizing whose Padawan I was. I choked on a sob and lowered my head again.
"I don't-"
"I know. It's okay." I felt him take a hand off mine and brush a few fingers through my hair. I looked down to see a small, tightly woven braid between his fingers.
"Is that-" I choked again, trying to stop the sobs that wracked my body.
"Yes. It's yours." He affirmed after a second. Waiting another moment, he spoke again. "Kemara, your Padawan braid." I knew he was being honest. I could feel it. Without thinking, I launched myself into his chest, wrapping my arms around his neck as I buried my face into his neck. He hesitated, but wrapped his arms around my back and held me tightly. I let out one last choked sob before trying to breath deeply. We stayed there for a moment, Obi-Wan making me feel safe. I couldn't remember them, but I could feel a connection to him. To them. Not much time had passed when a large explosion erupted from the apartment complex we had just been in. Pain surged through me as I looked back. I knew exactly why. I gasped out a single word.
"Anakin." Neither of us faltered. Obi-Wan practically carried me to my feet and we ran. I jumped across the gap, slipping on the ice I had tried to get Obi-Wan to slip on just moments prior. He grabbed my arm and kept me on my feet, never stopping. We got back to the complex alley and looked down. The men in the armor were just starting to come to and the masked man was nowhere in sight. Neither was Anakin. Small fire puddles were all over with larger ones on the walls and mixed among the smaller ones. Obi-Wan jumped first, careful to avoid the flames. I jumped, just expecting to catch myself like I did when I jumped to the transport earlier. I didn't feel the same surge of energy I did then. I was going to go splat. Then I felt it, but it wasn't my doing. I fell into Obi-Wan's arms and he spun me as to carry my momentum and put me on my feet without making us both fall. The two armored men ran up to us.
"Where's Anakin?" Obi-Wan asked them. I didn't wait for an answer. I already knew. I ran into the apartment, not heeding Obi-Wan's warnings. "Kemara!" His voice was distant as I was already in the apartment.
"Anakin!" I coughed as I had been breathing hard and took in lungfuls of smoke. I brought my cloak up to my nose and mouth, searching for the man I knew was in here. I found him. Well, I found his feet. A piece of the ceiling had fallen on him and by the time I'd found his head, I heard a cracking noise and another bar was falling towards me. I don't know how I managed to roll out of the way. All I knew was that I couldn't get Anakin out alone. "Obi-Wan!" I cried out. Before I could call out again, the bar and ceiling sheet started floating into the air.
"Get him out!" Obi-Wan's strained voice yelled over the crackling flames and shifting materials. I lunged forward, hooking my arms under Anakin's as I started coughing again. The smoke burned my eyes and lungs and my nose was starting to run. Don't quit, don't quit! I was almost there. My eyes watered and I felt lightheaded. Just another meter. I felt my knees getting weak so I gave it one last push and threw the both of us out of the apartment. Anakin's head rested on my chest as I laid on the ground right outside the apartment. I thought I saw Obi-Wan kneeling above me, but the dots swimming in my vision, along with the tears in my burning eyes, made it a little difficult to tell for sure. My face contorted in pain as I wheezed, trying to get a good enough breath in. "Hold on, Kemara. We're getting you out of here." I felt a hand on my shoulder. I knew I was drifting so I grabbed the wrist. It slipped from my grasp as I felt myself go limp and everything fade to black.
Thanks for reading! I'll always accept comments, questions, and concerns!