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I deactivated my light saber completely, panting heavily as I took in my brutal vicotry, my injuries, and as fatigue caught up with my body. I dropped to the ground, unable to stand any longer as the Force stopped supporting my adrenaline flow, and darkness crowded my vision. I saw the form of a beautiful woman approaching me, then I lost conciousness completely.
The ground rumbled with the intensity of the marching armies trampling the grounds outside. Shomari and I were standing in the middle of the living room of our home, as the other buildings outside burned. I had sensed several brief moments of danger, but my mother was no fool. She had made sure to stay nearby to ensure our safety. Shomari looked at me, as I stared with an intense gaze outside, my mind feebly attempting to comprehend what was going on outside. I felt more flashes of danger, but the flashes of heat were outside the house; I was sensing danger for my mother. It increased in intensity and frequency at an incomprehensible rate. Finally, my mother's presence weakened slightly, but I continued to feel the enemy lose soldiers. Against my mothers wishes I took a peek outside. Her right shoulder leaked blood, and I saw the burnt flesh indicating a blaster impact. I yelped in shock, fear, and the pain I suddenly sensed as my mother hadn't thought to shield herself against my ever probing mind. The result drew all the soldiers attention on me.
I sat straight up suddenly, as I began to comprehend my vision of rememberance. It seems that Johan lied to me as I figured when I figured out he was a Sith Lord. My mother had never left our side, and therefore couldn't possibly have saved his life. I bowed my head as I realized it was her own lack of forethought that had gotten her killed. It seems that once the invaders realized a Jedi was on the surface, they began to focus their assaults on her and she was eventually overwhelmed. I focused my mind and tried to focus my thoughts. The Force flowed through my mind freely as I attempted to remember what happened next; but the door chose that moment to open, and I saw Raena walking in. I realized where I was at, and layed back down gently. The medical bed in the Jedi Temple was comforting, as I finally felt that almost all of my many concerns were put to ease, save one.
"What happened?" I asked, looking over the bandages that decorated my left shoulder, and underside of my left arm.
"Well, your dislocated elbow has been snapped back into place," Raena cringed. "Shomari used the Force to push it back after you passed out."
"You got to me first didn't you?" I asked remembering the last image I had seen.
"No, Shomari did. He was in the room with you, how would I have beaten him to you?" Raena's voiced was tinted with worry.
I decided that I had imagined my mother as I passed out, which must have been the focal point that kept me alive.
"Well then what?" I continued.
"The rest is pretty obvious, got on the star ship, Nora thanked us, paid us, and we now have a meeting with the Council whenever you 'feel up to it'" Raena quoted.
"Let's go now, I need to speak with Trance and Deuce afterwards. Trance owes me some datapads, and Shomari owes me some backup." I slid down from the bed in an efficient manner.
"You really should rest," Raena protested as I sidestepped her.
"I know," I answered honestly as I strode down the hallway towards the Council chambers.
"As long as you care," I heard her mutter slightly.
We entered the room in a slightly louder manner than I'd hoped, but it held no consequences so I ignored it.
"You wished to see me?" I asked after the Council's attention had completely centered on Raena and I.
"Not this soon," Master Windu scolded. Then his eyes turned to Raena, "why aren't the pair of you resting?"
"I tried to tell him Master," Raena spoke up.
"I have 1 more matter to tend to before I can allow myself the pleasure of rest." I defended Raena.
"Very well," Master Windu sat back.
"In order once again, congradulations are," Yoda spoke up. "Indebted the Naboo are to you all."
"I only regret not seeing through Johan soon enough to save her task force." I hung my head in guilt and remembrance of my brief time with them.
"Fooled everyone was. Saw through his plots you did, proud of you I am." Yoda assured me.
"Me too," Raena whispered from my side.
"I am now ordering you, Raena, and Shomari to take a minimum of a month of leave." Mace Windu said. "I will not allow you three to be summoned for any kind of mission from the council. You may spend the time, in what ever stress relieving manner you deem appropriate."
"Thank you Master." Raena and I intoned.
Trance was rummaging through his drawers quickly, in a frantic manner.
"I know it was here," he said in a frustrated and lost voice. "It was just so long ago, I found it the same day you three left, and stashed it immediately."
"Glad you were challenged sufficiently," I complimented him sarcastically.
"This is the hard part you're seeing now," Trance said. "I couldn't contact you while you were on your assignment, so I just tried to keep it."
"Trance," Raena's voice had the soft touch that indicated a gentle suggestion. "Would it be on the datapad on your pocket?"
"Yes!" he shouted triumphantly raising the datapad. "Thank you! No wonder Déshawn likes you so much."
"So what do we have?" Shomari asked understandably irritated. I was also glad for a little emphasis on focus; and the subject change too.
"I got lucky, your only suspect is a businessman, who ironically deals in macro-scale weapons, from a scrawny little planet called Earth." He paused letting the fact our mothers killer came from the same planet as us sink in.
"And he now resides..?" I pushed sitting up, in spite of my exhaustion.
"On Coruscant." Trance concluded. "He shouldn't be hard to find, just infiltrate underground arms dealing and you'll get sick of hearing his name."
"His name being?" Shomari also pressed.
"Husb Reggoe," Trance announced quickly.
"Quite a name," Raena's soft voice piped up.
"This won't take us over 3 days," I said as Shomari and I simultaneously rose. I pulled on my black cloak, summoned my light saber to my hand and stopped at the door to wait for my little brother.
"I don't want to hear, sense, see, or smell a trace of you two. Stay here and enjoy your vacation as much as we plan to be," Shomari ordered.
"I'm still on call," Trance announced. "But Raena you should have some fun."
"Déshawn..." Raena started.
"This is our mother's killer, Raena," I stopped her.
"Good luck," she finished up, altering her line of conversation.
"A Jedi is neither lucky nor unlucky," I quoted her.
"Besides, looking at our track record," Trance pointed out. "Wishing luck around here is more of a curse than a blessing."