Chapter 3: Maira Skywalker
Maira looked across the beautiful setting Courscant sun. Then she turned her head and saw her lifetime best friend, and now boyfriend, Ben. He smiled, a smile that would usually make Maira enrapture in bliss, but this smile; this wonderful smile of his sent a painful throb to her heart—for she knew that this would be their last time together.
He held her close to him, breathing the scent of her hair. Maira tried to capture each millisecond of this valuable time. The beautiful purple-orange haze of the clouds sang through the evening sky.
She would always remember that last sunset she spent with her forever love, she would remember the soft breeze teasing their sensitive skin; she would remember the way he held her in the arms. Everything seemed so perfect, and yet everything would be gone soon.
They just stood there, enjoying the beauty of the Courscant sunset, enjoying each other's company.
Then Maira turned around and passionately kissed Ben with such ferocity that it almost knocked him over.
After a long and wonderful sensuous kiss, they broke apart. Maira knew, that this night—this seemingly perfect night would be their last.
"I love you so much, Maira," Ben said who was almost in tears of his joy for being together with Maira.
"I do love you too," Maira said almost painfully but genuinely as she kissed him again. She didn't want to waste their final moments together, but once she was a Jedi, she knew that attachment was forbidden.
Their kiss deepened as Maira mumbled, "Take me, Ben, please, make love to me."
Ben swooped up his lover in his arms and carried her to their virginal bed.
Maira remember that time—that only time. She was the happiest yet saddest person in the universe. A tear dropped form her eye as she began the sequence to take the shuttle out of hyperspace.
"Master?" Anita asked worryingly.
"Mmm? Yes Padawan?" Maira asked.
"Master, why are you crying?" Anita asked in a daring way.
"Someday, my young apprentice, someday; you will know," sighed Maira.
The ghostly haze of hyperspace disappeared as the trail of stars quickly took its place. Maira felt a jerk as the ship entered normal space again.
Maira saw her home planet below, the city-planet of Couscant loomed ahead, but it is now abandoned to the remnants of the New Republic starships. There were little lights on the once luminous city, but shipyards down there were still functional—to supply the fleeting New Republic with some new ships.
Maira skillfully pressed a few buttons as she said into the intercom, "Skywalker to Command ship Preserver, permission to land."
"Hold on checking identification code," a voice in the intercom sounded. A few seconds went by and it said, "Permission granted. Please land on Sectional 33 Alpha."
The Preserver was a huge ship, spanning over twenty-four kilometers long, it is quite possibly longer than the Imperial Super Stardestroyers. However, instead of the threatening triangular Imperial look to the vessel, the Preserver had a softer façade, with a smooth white hull and bright running lights—sort of symbolizing the New Republic's last hope. The ship was almost a city, with
Maira piloted the shuttle into a hanger of the Preserver. The hanger was bustling with activity, from druids repairing ships to men unloading cargo.
Maira and Anita opened the shuttle hatch and walked out, and there was Master Farkas waiting for them. Farkas was on the remaining Jedi council which headquarters is now located on the Preserver.
"You have completed the mission, I assume," the old Jedi Master asked Maira.
"Yes Master Farkas, we have; but perhaps it would be a better time to talk to the council about our mission."
The ship was huge, but Maira, Anita and Master Farkas took a transit to Jedi temple onboard the Preserver.
The Council was situated around a huge transparent dome that showed the luminous many stars of the galaxy.
Master Farkas took Maira's datachip and stuck in small computer consol next to his chair.
"What have you for us?" asked Master Bige, who was of the same species of the great Master Yoda one thousand years ago. His green pointy ears and green skin shown crevices, for Bige was a successor of Yoda to represent the Jedi for his race.
"As you all know," Maira said slightly pushing back her untamable red hair, "The Empire is building a new Death Star, the Death Star III. The Empire realized its design flaws when the Rebel Alliance destroyed both the Death Star I and II with simple fighters. Thus, they made sure the superstructure is well guarded. From the schematics I picked up, I am afraid I can see no weak points in this new Death Star. However, I may be wrong, for it still has not gone through the Engineering Core for inspection… Master Farkas, please." Maira pointed to the computer consol.
The room suddenly turned dark and a rotating hologram of the Death Star III appeared in the middle of the room.
"As you can see," Maira said pointing at the hologram, "This new Death Star has, instead of only one super lasers, it has two. Making assault on it almost impossible."
She continued on explaining the defenses and offenses of this new Imperial superweapon.
"Thank you Master Skywalker," Farkas said, "but please, Master Skywalker, what is bothering you, for the whole Jedi council can sense your troubles. Do you wish to speak in front of the Counsel?"
"Correct that is," Bige continued his ears pointing upwards, "Pain and fear I sense in you, Master Maira Skywalker."
"I am sorry, I will meditate—and I assure you that these emotions will go away," Maira responded.
"Not dead is Death Undor," Bige said, "Is that who you fear?"
"Not dead?!" Anita almost yelled, "He jumped into that damn shaft!"
"Hold you tongue young Padawan!" Maira commanded.
"Sorry Master, I was merely pointing out that Darth Undor jumped into the Shaft."
"But he is not dead," Farkas confirmed, "Although the Dark Side clouds, I can sense he is not dead."
"Prepared are you for the next task, Skywalker?" Bige asked.
"What is my next task, Master Bige," Maira asked.
"You and your apprentice shall investigate this Darth Undor," Farkas said.
Maira almost shuddered, but she maintained her composure.
"Yes Master," she said pulling up her hood and walking towards the door.
Upon exiting, her old master, Farkas said to them, "And may the Force be with you."
"Thank you Master," Maira said walking out with her apprentice and the door closing behind them.
Once they were gone, Farkas asked, "Will she know?"
"Tell soon time will; know Maira will." Bige said closing his eyes.