Chapter 5:
Daniella knocked cautiously at the door of her master's quarters. She was dressed in a clean Jedi tunic styled in the same way as the traditional Dathomirian ceremonial dress but without ornamentation. Her fiery red hair was slicked back into a ponytail and her black eyes flashed nervously as she tapped her foot and patiently waited. After ten minutes, she frowned and knocked again. It was not like her master to keep her waiting, even if she was annoyed at her apprentice's lack of mental concentration yesterday. Trying the doorknob, she frowned as she felt it resist her turning. Sending an astral probe inside, she couldn't find her master anywhere so she turned and walked slowly to the Masters common room and knocked cautiously. As the door opened to reveal the face of Ben Skywalker, she bowed and waited for him to speak as was appropriate.
"What is it, padawan Daniella?" asked the annoyed Ben. He was in the middle of talking to Tenel Ka when the Dathomirian had knocked.
The apprentice bowed deeply and looked down at the floor. "I was wondering, Master Skywalker, whether my mistress was in there with you? We were supposed to be practising lightsaber techniques but she is not in her quarters."
Ben turned back inside and saw everyone but Miennya. This was rather unusual, she was always here but he hadn't seen her since she had last come to him. "I am sorry Daniella but she is not here. Have you checked the lightsaber training area? She may have told you to meet there."
Shaking her head, Daniella thought for a few seconds. "No, master, she would have told me otherwise. Are you sure you have not seen her anywhere?"
Ben nodded and then stepped out. Miennya's behaviour was getting erratic and he was frankly concerned for her sanity. Nodding to the apprentice, he led the way to Miennya's quarters and knocked loudly. When the noise faded without movement, he pressed his ear to the door and knocked again. All he got was hollow sound so he tried to push the door in. That didn't work so he turned the knob furiously to no avail. Taking a chair from nearby, he slammed it against the door as the concerned occupants of the other rooms looked out for the source of the noise. Finally, he sent his shoulder into the door and sighed in relief as the door popped open.
---
Looking around, he frowned as he saw no movement and nothing missing. It was then that he saw the note on the table next to the sleeping pallet. Picking it up, he savoured the smell of her perfume yet frowned as he read it. The impressions signified tear drops and some of the writing was slurred and blurred by moisture. Reading, he dropped it and swore loudly as Daniella picked it up. Looking up with concern as Ben slammed his fist into the wall; she continued reading and then stopped. Looking up innocently, she stared at him.
'What is the meaning of this, Master Ben? Why has she left? Why would she disappear and leave only a note?"
Shaking his head in anguish, Ben gulped to get rid of the lump in his throat and then spoke in a measured tone to keep the emotion back. "It means that she has gone to Coruscant to fight the Dark Lord of the Sith. She sacrificed herself to save our lives, the lives of the Academy. She payed the ultimate price to save you and me from death at the hands of the Sith, her life in return for ours..."
Gasping in shock as the words registered, Daniella began to cry. Sitting down on the pallet and stroking her back to calm her down, he grimaced and stared out the window with tears brimming in his eyes as a look of intense anger began to build on his face...
Daniella knocked cautiously at the door of her master's quarters. She was dressed in a clean Jedi tunic styled in the same way as the traditional Dathomirian ceremonial dress but without ornamentation. Her fiery red hair was slicked back into a ponytail and her black eyes flashed nervously as she tapped her foot and patiently waited. After ten minutes, she frowned and knocked again. It was not like her master to keep her waiting, even if she was annoyed at her apprentice's lack of mental concentration yesterday. Trying the doorknob, she frowned as she felt it resist her turning. Sending an astral probe inside, she couldn't find her master anywhere so she turned and walked slowly to the Masters common room and knocked cautiously. As the door opened to reveal the face of Ben Skywalker, she bowed and waited for him to speak as was appropriate.
"What is it, padawan Daniella?" asked the annoyed Ben. He was in the middle of talking to Tenel Ka when the Dathomirian had knocked.
The apprentice bowed deeply and looked down at the floor. "I was wondering, Master Skywalker, whether my mistress was in there with you? We were supposed to be practising lightsaber techniques but she is not in her quarters."
Ben turned back inside and saw everyone but Miennya. This was rather unusual, she was always here but he hadn't seen her since she had last come to him. "I am sorry Daniella but she is not here. Have you checked the lightsaber training area? She may have told you to meet there."
Shaking her head, Daniella thought for a few seconds. "No, master, she would have told me otherwise. Are you sure you have not seen her anywhere?"
Ben nodded and then stepped out. Miennya's behaviour was getting erratic and he was frankly concerned for her sanity. Nodding to the apprentice, he led the way to Miennya's quarters and knocked loudly. When the noise faded without movement, he pressed his ear to the door and knocked again. All he got was hollow sound so he tried to push the door in. That didn't work so he turned the knob furiously to no avail. Taking a chair from nearby, he slammed it against the door as the concerned occupants of the other rooms looked out for the source of the noise. Finally, he sent his shoulder into the door and sighed in relief as the door popped open.
---
Looking around, he frowned as he saw no movement and nothing missing. It was then that he saw the note on the table next to the sleeping pallet. Picking it up, he savoured the smell of her perfume yet frowned as he read it. The impressions signified tear drops and some of the writing was slurred and blurred by moisture. Reading, he dropped it and swore loudly as Daniella picked it up. Looking up with concern as Ben slammed his fist into the wall; she continued reading and then stopped. Looking up innocently, she stared at him.
'What is the meaning of this, Master Ben? Why has she left? Why would she disappear and leave only a note?"
Shaking his head in anguish, Ben gulped to get rid of the lump in his throat and then spoke in a measured tone to keep the emotion back. "It means that she has gone to Coruscant to fight the Dark Lord of the Sith. She sacrificed herself to save our lives, the lives of the Academy. She payed the ultimate price to save you and me from death at the hands of the Sith, her life in return for ours..."
Gasping in shock as the words registered, Daniella began to cry. Sitting down on the pallet and stroking her back to calm her down, he grimaced and stared out the window with tears brimming in his eyes as a look of intense anger began to build on his face...