A/N: As promised, this chapter is going to be set before Amira was a Jedi. I hope you enjoy! This chapter is dedicated to SanguineExile for all the awesome reviews I've recieved from you! I really do appreciate the reviews I recieve! Anyway, enjoy...the story is nearing it's end!

Disclaimer: I own Mical! I own Mical! I own Mical! Muahahahahaha!

Chapter 18: More Than One Choice

Amira stood watching her younger brother sleep. He was so serene when he was sleeping, she hated having to wake him but they were in danger if they continued to stay here. Their stepparents would awake in a few hours and they had to be long gone by then. Amira decided to wait a little longer, letting Luke sleep for a little longer. The eight-year-old girl continued to watch as her brother slept.

Amira steadied her breathing. This was going to be difficult and dangerous...but if she didn't get Luke and herself out of this environment, they would eventually be killed. When they were only four, Amira and her brother were sent into the foster system. Unfortunately, they had been given to a family where the father was an alcoholic and abusive and the mother was shy, quiet, and lived in fear of her husband.

It had been four years and she couldn't stand the beatings anymore. Her little brother deserved a lot better than this slum. That was where Amira came in. She had come up with a plan to get her brother out of harm's way. Amira hated how they treated both of her brother and her...she could take it, but Luke was younger than her and already had scars from the beatings.

It wasn't right. Amira nudged her brother softly. He shifted in his sleep, but did not wake up. She nudged him harder and he opened his eyes reluctantly. The little dark-haired boy yawned and sat up, stretching his arms. Amira looked tenderly at the younger boy. She grabbed him in her arms and helped him stand up. He had several bruises on his legs due to last night's beatings and she knew he was still in pain.

"Amira? What are we doing awake this early?" He asked innocently.

"Sssh, you have to be very quiet. All right?" Amira reprimanded gently.

"Okay, Ami. Why are you dressed and up this early though?" He asked.

Amira smiled. "I'll explain everything later. You gotta trust me. Now we need to get you dressed." Amira answered as she began helping Luke get dressed.

"We going somewhere?" Luke asked. Nothing was clear to him yet...he didn't know about the plan.

"We're leaving, Luke. We're leaving and not coming back here." Amira explained quietly. "Now come one, I already got some food so you can eat on the way."

Amira grabbed Luke's hand and lead him to the door. She opened the door and quietly slipped out, Luke following her close behind. The night air was refreshing compared to the stuffy cramped quarters that was her room. Her brother looked nervous beside her and she flashed him a quick reassuring smile. Everything would turn out all right. They had managed to escape the house undetected and all that was left to do was book a passage off-planet. Amira had decided on the perfect place...the Jedi Temple on Coruscant.

Amira had read a lot about Jedi, and she was fascinated by them. They were so amazing, and they were so perfect. Jedi couldn't do anything wrong and that's why Amira decided that it would be best to stay with them. They wouldn't harm her or her younger brother. Maybe she could even become a perfect Jedi like the one's she had read about. The thought alone excited her tremendously.

"Ami, I'm cold." Luke whined.

"Sorry, here take my jacket." Amira wrapped her jacket around Luke.

"Thanks, Amira." He smiled and Amira smiled lovingly back.

Luke was the only family that Amira had ever had. Amira loved him so much and would do anything to keep him safe, which was why they were running away in the first place. She couldn't watch her little brother being beat continuously due to the stupidity of her stepfather. Amira hated both her "parents" so much that sometimes her hate consumed her thoughts. She knew that it was bad to think bad thoughts about anyone, but she could not help it.

After walking for several hours, they finally reached their destination. The star port was just up ahead. Amira's only worry was that she wouldn't have enough credits for the both of them. If that happened to be the case, she would send her brother to the Jedi and she would find another way off planet. The most important thing was getting Luke to safety. That was all that mattered to Amira.

"Amira, are we going to leave the planet on a starship?" Luke asked excitedly.

"Yes, we are. Just stick close to me, ok?" Amira said, gripping his hand tighter.

The lights around were so bright that they blinded Amira at first because she had been walking in the dark for so long. Even though it was in the middle of the night, the star port was buzzing with activity. She walked up to the counter where she believed she would be able to buy some tickets off-planet. The man disregarded her for a moment before Amira finally cleared her throat signaling that she was here to buy tickets off-planet.

"Yes? What do you want, little girl?" The man said.

"I was wondering if I might be able to buy two tickets to Coruscant." Amira said, standing on her tiptoes to make herself appear taller.

"And why would you be wanting to go to Coruscant?" He asked with an eyebrow raised.

"Well, my brother and I want to join the Jedi." Amira answered proudly.

The man laughed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, where are your parents?"

"We're running away!" Luke said before Amira could cover his mouth.

"Oh, I see. Well, in that case, what is the name of your parents? Perhaps I can get you a discount." He said turning his back to them.

Amira suddenly got a sick feeling in the pit of her gut. She gripped Luke's hand and began leading him away, but Luke didn't get the hint and released her hand and walked back up to the counter, peering over the top of it.

"Jebadiah Rhoades." He said happily. He was happy to finally be able to help. He looked to Amira who had begun to pale.

"Thanks, sir. But I think we'll just be leaving now..." Amira grabbed Luke's hand as the man started to dial a number on his wallphone.

Suddenly, Amira knew that they had to get out of here...and fast. A sense of panic and urgency took over and she tried running to the entrance, Luke being dragged along behind her. But the doors weren't opening. They were sealed tight and Amira knew that the man had betrayed them. There was nowhere to escape to now.

"Sorry, but you will be unable to leave until your parents come to get you. I have notified them and they are on their way here as we speak." He said with a fake smile.

Amira gave him a sickened glance. "Luke, we need to get out of here. Do you see any place that you can crawl into?"

Luke scanned the area and shook his head. "Sorry, everything is locked. What's a matter, Ami?"

Amira looked to her little brother and a sense of dread filled her. Their parents were coming and then they would be in a lot of trouble. Amira began running to every door; all of them were locked. She sunk to the floor and put her head into her lap. Her plan had failed and now there was no escape. Luke walked over to her and sat next to her.

"Mommy and Daddy are coming, aren't they?" He asked and Amira wiped away her tears and nodded. "Are we gonna be in trouble."

"Yes, Luke. But don't worry, I'm gonna protect you. I won't let them hurt you anymore, Luke." Luke snuggled closer to Amira.

"I trust you, Ami." Amira heard the door swing open and a large man came fuming in.

"Where are they?" He screamed.

The man pointed and Jebadiah stormed over to them. Amira instinctively stepped in front of her brother but was struck so hard in the face that she blacked out. The last thing she saw was Luke's terrified face and she knew that she had failed him.

When Amira awoke, she had a huge bruise on her face and cuts everywhere else. Her father had probably continued to beat her even after she had passed out. She immediately remembered Luke and she ran to his room. He wasn't in his bed. Amira ran to the family room and her father and mother were sitting on a couch. Jebadiah had his head in his hands and her mother was weeping.

"Where's Luke?" Amira asked quietly.

Her father didn't answer her and so she asked again. "He's dead."

"What? What happened?" Amira said as tears started to stream down her face.

Her mother scooted farther away from her husband. Amira ran to her mom and snuggled close. She didn't like her mother all that much but she needed some comfort at the moment. "How did he die?"

"His heart stopped." Amira looked confused at him before she realized what had happened.

"You killed him! You murderer!" She screamed angrily at him. She lunged at him and was met with another slap to the face. "I hate you! You killed my brother!"

Her father merely looked at her and shook his head. "You killed him. He died because of you and it will always be your fault."

"That...that's not true!" Amira cried and looked to her mother and she looked away. "I hate both of you!"

"And we hate you for killing our son!" Jebadiah thundered. "You're leaving. We're sending you to the Jedi so we never have to see your murderous face again."

Amira ran out of the room and curled herself into a ball in a corner. She had killed the brother she had loved? It wasn't possible...but it had been her idea to runaway. If they hadn't, Jebadiah wouldn't have beat Luke and mistakenly killed him. Amira cried for hours until two Jedi knights came to get her. For the rest of her life, Amira had to live with the guilt and the fact that she had killed the one person she had loved.

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"Is something the matter, Exile?" Zaalbar queried. "You are awfully quiet and something seems to be bothering you."

Amira moved another piece of who-knows-what around on her dish. "It...it's nothing. I just had a bad dream, that's all."

"I see...well, I find that talking about the dreams help heal the wound that they create." Zaalbar said wisely.

Amira sighed. "It's too hard to talk about him...even after all these years. But I suppose you would understand my pain, I know that you lost a brother and a father."

"Yes...it is true. I lost my father Freyrr several months ago. I still feel his loss." Zaalbar paused. "My brother...he is a difficult topic to discuss."

"I understand. Forget I said anything."

"I still wish to hear about your dream." the Chieftain said.

"When I was only a child, I lost my brother. My step-father beat him to death and then blamed me for his death." Amira said softly.

"You believe that it is your fault?"

"It was, in a sense. I talked him into running away with me and we got caught. I promised to protect him and instead...I killed him." Amira wiped her eyes as they threatened to release tears over long forgotten memories. "I was never able to avenge my little baby brother so I have to avenge Mical."

"You were close to this Mical?" Zaalbar asked softly. He knew how it was to lose a loved one and he knew how hard it was to be the cause of the loved one's death.

"Yes...very close." Amira sighed. "I failed him as well...and this time I have the chance to avenge him."

"I understand. Revenge doesn't always heal the pain, though. Most times, it makes the pain greater and more unbearable." Amira shook her head.

"I no longer care. The only thing I have left is revenge, Chieftain." Amira said, although she had a feeling that there was more that she had left than she knew.

"It is your choice, just remember that there always is more than one solution to the problem."

"You are very wise...but I do no agree with that statement." Amira said as she stood and headed back to her ship.

There was nothing left to do here on Kashyyyk, so Amira decided that she'd head to Telos. She needed to speak with Carth before she left to get her revenge. There were so many things that needed to be said to him. He was the only other person that could somewhat grasp Amira's pain. She ignited the engines and set the hyperspace coordinates. She was nearing the end of her search...soon her revenge would be exacted and her life would be complete. Amira grabbed her lightsaber and a small red crystal out of her pocket and placed it in the hilt.

The lightsaber glowed red...the exact color that would be the color of Mical's murderer's blood.

A/N: Thanks for reading, please review!