Yeah, I know…I suck…I never update :(

I applogize. I know how frustrating it is when someone takes forever to update a story…and I get pretty mad too, so if you are angry at me I understand and you have every right to be.

I figure I will promise nothing anymore as far as when I get around to updating this story, because if I promise anything, its likely not to happen. Writer's Block, and my own laziness are key reasons. I'm a bum…sorry. But feel free to yell at me if you like, maybe it will get me into gear to update..maybe. Not very likely..but maybe.

So here's a new chapter! Yay! It's pretty long, which is good right? Hopefully not a complete waste of your time though.

Story note: I took Roon and the several characters out of the cartoon series "Droids" and I will be using some of the story lines from the Mungo Baobab cycle of the series if you've ever seen it or care to. Anyway I will use that story and characters in this chapter and following ones. I will however not being including the main characters of that series, R2 and 3PO simply because the storyline doesn't seem to mesh with the info known from Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, the movies the cartoon is set between. So yeah…I'll be using the "Droids" stories without the Droids actually being in them.


Chapter 3: Of Evil and Babysitters

The Umboo province, quiet and majestic, located on the light side of the tide-locked planet of Roon. It lay in eternal sunlight, posing in complete opposition to its counterpart on the opposite side of the planet. Roon's other half caught in perpetual darkness; a desolate wasteland, where few living creatures would and could call home.

The evident metaphor present in the structure of this planet to that of the light and the dark side of the Force was certainly not lost on Carmena. It seemed to her an ever constant reminder of why she needed to be here, what she had to fight for to protect, what she needed to pass on to her daughter.

The Light side of the Force served to preserve and flourish life, while the Dark side only destroyed it.

She sighed, but darkness still seemed to flourish hidden beneath well developed guises of lightness and kindness. Sometimes, it took a keen eye to determine the deceit beneath a bright and visibly loving exterior.

Smiling eyes. Warm hands. I need you. Why?

Carmena brow furrowed.

But, then darkness could also be so evident and blatantly clear, but still completely unchecked and ignored.

Apathy was one of the worst traits to be found among the citizens of this galaxy. Good people who stood idly by allowing horrible atrocities to occur right in front of them with no reprimand. She sometimes felt the indifference of decent beings was just as ghastly a crime as the foul acts being flippantly disregarded.

At least the people of Umboo had some backbone, it seemed.

Koong, the Governor of Tawntoon; the neighboring province of Umboo was clearly marked with cruelty. A power hungry individual with no concern for others, and he seemed intent on being the ruler of the entire planet, and had even gone so far as too blatantly claim he already was.

He was a Palpatine in his own right perhaps, but far less clever. The governor's intentions were far from hidden.

Carmena suspected he may come to be a problem in the coming years, but she doubted it would be anything they wouldn't be able to overcome.

Umboo; she had discovered during the six months she had being making residence here, was publicly against Koong.

That was something for which Carmena was grateful for. The people of Umboo where far better in character than most she had come in contact with, even if they were wary of her…

Her eyes flickered to the window.

The force murmured warning. Getting up slowly from her chair and taking a quick glance to Kiara who stood in her crib giggling immensely. Apparently, her daughter had found something deeply amusing in grasping either side of her crib and shaking her wobbly body back in forth in and odd bouncing manner.

Turning her attention back to the window, she could sense a presence. Someone was outside.

Relief washed over her when she determined the presence.

It was a girl from town. It seemed she had taken residence in the bushes under Carmena's window, careful not to reveal herself to Carmena.

She gave a smirk; it seemed she had a spy.

Advancing on the window slowly she gave no inclination to the now hiding girl she had been discovered until she reached the open window and placed a hand on its frame.

"Would you like something to drink while you sit out there in my bushes? I know its awful hot out; I wouldn't want you to get dehydrated."

Carmena heard a gasp from below the window and the girl fell backward out of the bushes into view with surprise.


Auren Yomm had been curious about the woman ever since she arrived in Umboo.

Offworlders were rare, practically unheard off.

When the mysterious woman came to live in Umboo word spread quickly. Whispered rumors, offhand speculations, some even thought she was some kind of witch. Auren wasn't sure where that rumor had sprouted from and she certainly didn't believe it.

She had seen her in the market and in town a few times, with her baby cradled in her arms. The woman had a strange accent that wasn't like one she'd ever heard before. It sounded cultured, sophisticated, and she liked it.

Auren had her own theory on the woman.

She had been a Republic fighter pilot, no doubt. How else had she been able to fly through the Cloak of the Sith and make it too Roon without help?

Koong had control of almost all of the lightstations that could help guide her in, and he'd only let someone through if they had something to offer him and from the looks of it, she didn't have much.

Maybe she was famous, forced out of service after getting pregnant…or, or perhaps maybe she left in heated protest to the newly formed Empire...or something.

Auren had heard from her father that the Republic had been overthrown and the galaxy was apparently now a part of an Empire of some sort. It certainly didn't affect Roon. They hadn't had contact with the Republic, and it wasn't likely the Empire would have any influence here either. But her father always said it was important to know what was going on in the galaxy, even if it didn't affect them at that precise moment. Knowledge was always important.

She knew he was right, but she didn't think much on what the rest of the galaxy was doing, there were enough things right here on Roon to capture her interest.

Like this strange woman.

She had shared her theory with a few of her friends and they laughed it off. One of her friends, Golu, suggested rudely that maybe she had given something to Koong in order to get through using the lightstations, something of the unspeakable variety. It had made Auren redden to even think about it. It made her angry for some reason for anyone to think of this woman like that. She was someone to be admired, not laughed at. Well at least that's what she assumed.

That's why she had snuck up to the woman's secluded house after her practice for the rockhopper race next week, so she could find out for sure what the woman's story was. Auren had to prove Golu wrong.

She approached the window and saw the woman sitting at the table, looking to be deep in thought. Then she got up from her chair and passed her baby's basinet closer to the window. Auren quickly ducked out of sight behind the large plants and shrubs before the woman could see her.

Auren had been so curious about the woman that she had ran up here as fast as she could after the long few hours of practice racing her rockhopper along with her friends. She was getting quite good at it too, and she even had hopes that maybe she could make the Umboo team for the Roon Colonial games in a few years.

Now sitting in the penetrating heat of Roon her thoughts strayed from the woman… Oh gosh, what she wouldn't give for something to drink. It had completely slipped her mind to drink and eat as she'd been so eager to get here.

Soft footsteps approached the window and Auren saw the woman's hand lay on the window sill. Auren held her breath hoping not to be caught.

"Would you like something to drink while you sit out there in my bushes? I know its awful hot out; I wouldn't want you to get dehydrated."

Auren fell forward and out of the bushes in shock. How? What?

How did she know that she was there, and that she was thirsty? She was certain that woman hadn't seen her…

Perhaps that witch theory hadn't been too far off the mark after all.

Auren shook it off, she was probably making something out of nothing, it was merely a coincidence; it wasn't as if the woman could read minds. That was impossible. She looked up toward the woman.

Auren thought at that moment that she hadn't ever seen anyone as beautiful in her life. The woman's blonde hair flew in the breeze in a graceful manner caressing the soft cheekbones of her face.

She looked around for an escape and thought frantically of what her mom and dad might say if they found out she'd been spying on the offworlder, invading her privacy. What was she going to do?

Auren struggled for a response to the woman's question but none came. But, the woman merely looked at her with a non-excusatory glance; she seemed ignorant of Auren's transgression.

But, she had to know she was being watched by Auren, it appeared as though she just didn't care.

The woman smiled.

"I didn't mean to startle you my dear. Why don't you come in? I'm afraid I do not get very many visitors. I am beginning to suspect people around here are wary of me, but I can assure you I mean you no harm."

It was poor consolation, as a person who did mean harm would hardly announce it, would they?

"Umm. I should probably be getting home by now, my mom gets worried if I'm not back on time…I..."

The woman retreated from the window and back into her home, and then the door beside Auren opened. The woman held a glass filled with what looked like cider.

"Now, now, from the looks of it you were planning on snooping outside my window for quite sometime. I doubt a few more minutes would make your mother worry."

Seeing Auren's apprehension as well as suprise that the woman had indeed known what she had been up to, the woman smiled and a sense of warmth and calm swept over her.

"I have sweet cakes, your welcome to have some of those as well."

All the uneasiness she had felt to entering this woman's house was gone in an instant, in its place the growling of her stomach.

"Ok. I guess I can stay for a little while…"

The young girl sat across from her eagerly drinking down the cider and nibbling on a sweetcake. Once she finished Carmena slid the pitcher over too her so she could drink some more.

The girl finished the second glass and was about to pour herself a third when she appeared to come back to her senses and realize where she was.

"I'm..I'm sorry about spying on you mam...I didn't mean to, I was just curious…"

Carmena gave a knowing smile.

"Well of course you meant to, why else would you have done it? I think what you really mean to say is that you didn't mean to be caught…" Carmena raised an eyebrow.

It seemed the girl did not know how to reply to that and she simply sat there wide eyed, clearly embarrassed of her actions.

Carmena leaned back in her chair and appraised the young girl. She suspected she was around twelve years old perhaps. She had dark skin, dark hair and brown eyes that shown of intelligence. Carmena suspected this girl would grow to be a very striking young woman given time.

"So, I fear in all this commotion I never caught your name. It seems only right that I know the name of my new friend don't you think?"

The girl looked doubtful of the implication they were friends, but said nothing of it.

"My name is Auren, Auren Yomm…"

"Hello, Auren. My name is Carmena Ellis." Then she motioned toward the crib next to the table. "And that is my daughter, Kiara."

Kiara discontinued her previous actions at the hearing of her name. She lifted her arms up at her mother in a grabbing motion.

"Mah. Hol!"

The poorly formed and nearly indecipherable words were easily understood by Carmena.

Mom, Hold.

The force bond between them made it easy for Carmena to know what was troubling Kiara…most of the time. Sometimes Carmena doubted even Kiara knew what it was she wanted.

Carmena reached down and scooped up her little girl sitting her on her knee as she turned her attention back to Auren.

"You needn't worry so much Auren, I'm not going to tell your parents…In fact I'm glad you came by."

The girl visibly relaxed. "Thank you, Miss Ellis…I…thanks."

Carmena nodded, taking a sip of her drink and lightly rocking Kiara in her knee.

"So, what brought you Auren…? I imagine there was something about me you were determined to discover in your little respite in my shrubberies."

Auren bit her lip. "Well, you see…not many offworlders come to Roon. People don't know what to think of you here, my friends have so many guesses about how you came here…I just wanted to know for sure."

Kiara then turned to look at Auren as if she had just noticed her entrance and when Auren turned down to see the baby staring at her, Kiara gave a smile and quick giggle before hiding her head against in her mothers shawl.

"Yes, well…sorry to say that is not a story I can tell you in full detail…but I can tell you that I came here to get away from the Inner planets' dealings. Not a good place for my daughter to grow up in. Its dark times in the galaxy I'm afraid."

"Oh." Auren was obviously not completely satisfied with the answer she had received, but recognized that, at least for the moment, she wasn't going to get any more information out of her.

Carmena looked to Auren with a grin..

"So Auren…how do you feel about babysitting?"