Kota stood quietly on the beach shore. She

watched the sun sink slowly behind the horizon.

This would be her last sunset. As a Jedi, she had

felt through the Force the arrival of Lord Vader.

He had killed her master and now he was here.

Kota knew it would be only a matter of hours before

he would find her. She was only an apprentice, but

she knew enough to be a threat to Vader and the

new Emperor.

Kota shook her head. New? No, it had been at

least a year since his ascension and at least that

long since she had last had a master. Kota bowed

her head. She was weary of running and ready to

rest.

Kota spent the night in deep mediation. Once

morning came she made her way to the beach and

waited.

As Lord Vader came down the path to the beach,

he could sense nothing. Only calmness came to him

from this Padawan.

Kota turned and waited again. Lord Vader

stopped for but a moment as he grasped his

lightsaber.

"I've been looking for you."

Kotas' only response was her blinking her eyes.

"You could avoid all this if you would join the

Dark Side."

Kota gave him a patient smile.

"You know as well as I do, that will not happen."

Lord Vader lifted his lightsaber but did not

ignite it when he noticed she didn't even have hers

unclasped from her belt. She seemed to want him to

know something.

"Why are you not defending yourself?"

"Because I have something to tell you."

"Well?"

"You will never be fully a Sith Lord. Anakin

skywalker will always be inside of you. And one day,

he'll awake and you'll be him again."

Lord Vader felt shock roll through him. No

Jedi, apprentice or otherwise, had dared to speak to

him like that. The instant he had his lightsaber

lifted and ignited, Kota had hers unclasped, lifted,

and lit.

There a few blows exchanged between them.

Kota sensed another dark presence coming.

That would explain how Vader found me, Kota

thought.

He may not have been on the planet yet, but

Kota would not take on Lord Sidious.

She fought Lord Vader for a few more moments

then shoved him back with the force. He stumbled

back only a few feet but it was enough.

She paused and reached out into the Force. It

filled and saturated her. She looked at Lord Vader.

Slowly she brought her lightsaber up in front

of her until it was parallel to her body. She closed

her eyes at the same time.

Lord Vader, seeing his opportunity, swung his

lightsaber. The instant it touched her clothes,

Kota vanished. Lord Vader felt cold, but turned

away with grim satisfaction.

He froze though when the luminous being in

front of him spoke.

"You have been, are now, and will be Anakin

Skywalker. No matter how hard you try, you will

never extinguish the light inside. Not even the

Emperor can."

Kota faded before Lord Vader could do

anything.

Vader made his way away from the beach. He

turned and looked back over the ocean.

The sun was setting.