A/N: Wow... that's the most responses I've ever got for releasing a single
chapter. I plan to maintain both this story and my other story (Dark
Conspiracy) at the same time, and I know this might be draining, but I
think I can pull it off. I'm also running low on time (just got back to
school from winter break) so my releases might start to slow down, but I
hope to release at least 2 chapters every 2-3 days.
Chapter 1
"What... Where am I?"
"My name is Ruwee Naberrie. You're in the guest room of my farmhouse."
The battered young man groaned with pain. Everything ached. "Why am I here? What happened?"
"You were in a terrible speeder accident, son. My daughter was driving the other speeder. She was fortunate enough to escape unhurt, but you were a wreck. I took you in and my medical droids managed to keep you alive. You lost most of your right arm in the accident, and my droids couldn't save your leg. You also sustained several skull fractures and broke many ribs. It'll take a while for you to recover."
"How long have I been here?"
"You were unconscious for nearly three days. You're lucky to be alive, son." Ruwee turned to walk out of the room and leave the young man to rest, but stopped himself at the door. "I almost forgot to ask. What's your name?"
"My name?"
"Yes. You don't want me to be calling you 'son' throughout your entire stay here, now do you?"
The young man scowled. He searched his memory for the multi-syllable word that was his name, but every time he searched the answer came up blank. The harder he tried the more elusive the answer became.
"I- I don't know."
"You don't know your own name?"
"I can't remember..."
The older man frowned, and took a seat next to the patient bed. Ruwee ran his hand through his salt-and-pepper hair and sighed as a way to temporarily alleviate the stress that had bottled up within him.
"Listen son, how you survived that accident is beyond me. Padmé's speeder crunched right through the driver's seat of your speeder." Ruwee paused. "You sustained several skull fractures. I would not be surprised if you've also experienced some memory loss. Can you remember anything, anything about yourself, your past, who your family is?"
The battered young man shook his head, a pained expression etched upon his face. "N-no, I-I can't remember anything."
Ruwee sighed. "I'll have my droids take care of you until you're better. I'll also get word out to the other nearby settlers, see if we can find your family."
The young man nodded. "Thank you, Ruwee. That's very kind of you."
"It's the good thing to do considering what happened. I wasn't there, and I know it's an accident, but my daughter seems to take full responsibility for what happened." Ruwee paused. He touched the young man on the head, as if to bless him and protect him from sickness. "Rest easy, you still have a lot of healing to do."
* * * *
"Pooja dear, please finish your breakfast." Sola commanded her youngest daughter.
The eight year-old scowled at her mother with childish anger and frustration. "I'm full, mother." Sola sighed. How was she ever going to get her stubborn daughter to budge?
"Aunt Padmé, what's wrong?" Sola's elder daughter, Ryoo, asked her aunt.
Since she had returned, Padmé's had disposition was as depressing as the dead of winter. The twenty-eight year old had a seat next to the living room window, and all she did was gaze out at the fields.
"Aunt Padmé?"
Padmé turned to face her niece. The eleven year old showed her a warm, friendly smile. Padmé smiled back. "It's... complicated, Ryoo."
"Aunt, please tell me what happened at Coruscant." The child asked with such naïve boldness. Her father, Darred Naberrie, looked up his newspaper and eyed his daughter disapprovingly.
Padmé's smile soured. "I'd-I'd rather not, Ryoo." Padmé normally had a hard time denying her niece's requests, but she knew it was even harder to recite the events of that fateful day on Coruscant.
"Why?"
Darred rose from his seat on the other side of the living room and hoisted his daughter up into his arms. "I think you should leave your Aunt Padmé alone for now, Ryoo."
"No, it's alright Darred."
"No, you need some time alone, I understand that." Her brother-in-law showed a compassionate expression. He smiled to his daughter. "Hey, I'll take you outside, we can find some bait, and go fishing. Whaddaya say, kiddo?"
The child's eyes glazed with happiness. "Let's go, dad!"
Darred smiled and kissed his daughter on the forehead. The two then exited the house.
Jobal looked over to her daughter sitting in corner by the window. She watched Padmé sit in dead silence. A maternal sense of concern was aroused within Jobal. She had never seen her youngest daughter this distraught before. She took a seat next to her.
"Padmé, please talk to me." Jobal requested. Padmé made no sign of response. "You've been back three days already, and I haven't heard so much of a peep out of you."
"I'm alright, mom."
"No you're not, Padmé. Please, tell me what happened on Coruscant."
"No! No mother, I will not tell you what happened!" Padmé snapped. "You know what happened on Coruscant! If you want someone to tell you, just turn to the news station on the holo net. I struggle everyday trying to forget what happened there. I don't need to be reminded."
Jobal jerked back, her expression weakened. She did not know what to do. Her youngest daughter had never snapped at her that way.
Padmé's posture slumped. "I'm sorry, mother." She said remorsefully. Jobal embraced her. "I'm so sorry."
"It's alright, Padmé. I know you're going through bad times now. You need some healing. You can't start to heal until you can relieve the pain. The only way you can relieve this pain is by sharing it.
Padmé nodded, and told her mother everything.
Chapter 1
"What... Where am I?"
"My name is Ruwee Naberrie. You're in the guest room of my farmhouse."
The battered young man groaned with pain. Everything ached. "Why am I here? What happened?"
"You were in a terrible speeder accident, son. My daughter was driving the other speeder. She was fortunate enough to escape unhurt, but you were a wreck. I took you in and my medical droids managed to keep you alive. You lost most of your right arm in the accident, and my droids couldn't save your leg. You also sustained several skull fractures and broke many ribs. It'll take a while for you to recover."
"How long have I been here?"
"You were unconscious for nearly three days. You're lucky to be alive, son." Ruwee turned to walk out of the room and leave the young man to rest, but stopped himself at the door. "I almost forgot to ask. What's your name?"
"My name?"
"Yes. You don't want me to be calling you 'son' throughout your entire stay here, now do you?"
The young man scowled. He searched his memory for the multi-syllable word that was his name, but every time he searched the answer came up blank. The harder he tried the more elusive the answer became.
"I- I don't know."
"You don't know your own name?"
"I can't remember..."
The older man frowned, and took a seat next to the patient bed. Ruwee ran his hand through his salt-and-pepper hair and sighed as a way to temporarily alleviate the stress that had bottled up within him.
"Listen son, how you survived that accident is beyond me. Padmé's speeder crunched right through the driver's seat of your speeder." Ruwee paused. "You sustained several skull fractures. I would not be surprised if you've also experienced some memory loss. Can you remember anything, anything about yourself, your past, who your family is?"
The battered young man shook his head, a pained expression etched upon his face. "N-no, I-I can't remember anything."
Ruwee sighed. "I'll have my droids take care of you until you're better. I'll also get word out to the other nearby settlers, see if we can find your family."
The young man nodded. "Thank you, Ruwee. That's very kind of you."
"It's the good thing to do considering what happened. I wasn't there, and I know it's an accident, but my daughter seems to take full responsibility for what happened." Ruwee paused. He touched the young man on the head, as if to bless him and protect him from sickness. "Rest easy, you still have a lot of healing to do."
* * * *
"Pooja dear, please finish your breakfast." Sola commanded her youngest daughter.
The eight year-old scowled at her mother with childish anger and frustration. "I'm full, mother." Sola sighed. How was she ever going to get her stubborn daughter to budge?
"Aunt Padmé, what's wrong?" Sola's elder daughter, Ryoo, asked her aunt.
Since she had returned, Padmé's had disposition was as depressing as the dead of winter. The twenty-eight year old had a seat next to the living room window, and all she did was gaze out at the fields.
"Aunt Padmé?"
Padmé turned to face her niece. The eleven year old showed her a warm, friendly smile. Padmé smiled back. "It's... complicated, Ryoo."
"Aunt, please tell me what happened at Coruscant." The child asked with such naïve boldness. Her father, Darred Naberrie, looked up his newspaper and eyed his daughter disapprovingly.
Padmé's smile soured. "I'd-I'd rather not, Ryoo." Padmé normally had a hard time denying her niece's requests, but she knew it was even harder to recite the events of that fateful day on Coruscant.
"Why?"
Darred rose from his seat on the other side of the living room and hoisted his daughter up into his arms. "I think you should leave your Aunt Padmé alone for now, Ryoo."
"No, it's alright Darred."
"No, you need some time alone, I understand that." Her brother-in-law showed a compassionate expression. He smiled to his daughter. "Hey, I'll take you outside, we can find some bait, and go fishing. Whaddaya say, kiddo?"
The child's eyes glazed with happiness. "Let's go, dad!"
Darred smiled and kissed his daughter on the forehead. The two then exited the house.
Jobal looked over to her daughter sitting in corner by the window. She watched Padmé sit in dead silence. A maternal sense of concern was aroused within Jobal. She had never seen her youngest daughter this distraught before. She took a seat next to her.
"Padmé, please talk to me." Jobal requested. Padmé made no sign of response. "You've been back three days already, and I haven't heard so much of a peep out of you."
"I'm alright, mom."
"No you're not, Padmé. Please, tell me what happened on Coruscant."
"No! No mother, I will not tell you what happened!" Padmé snapped. "You know what happened on Coruscant! If you want someone to tell you, just turn to the news station on the holo net. I struggle everyday trying to forget what happened there. I don't need to be reminded."
Jobal jerked back, her expression weakened. She did not know what to do. Her youngest daughter had never snapped at her that way.
Padmé's posture slumped. "I'm sorry, mother." She said remorsefully. Jobal embraced her. "I'm so sorry."
"It's alright, Padmé. I know you're going through bad times now. You need some healing. You can't start to heal until you can relieve the pain. The only way you can relieve this pain is by sharing it.
Padmé nodded, and told her mother everything.