"So my question-if you are from here-is how did you manage to survive?"

Zek's question hung in the air like words in the funny books Shmi remembered reading when she was little.

She remained silent, feeling the stares of everyone in the cave. Her necklace, the one with the same symbol that had been present on the peak of the abandoned temple, felt hot against her skin.

"I don't know. I just did. I have no memory of my childhood," Shmi finally answered, detecting a slight exhale of relief from Sky.

"Just your dreams," Zek repeated, looking at Shmi closely, like he was trying to read her thoughts.

"Right. Except for the dreams I don't know or remember anything," Shmi affirmed, starting to get an uneasy feeling from Zek herself.

"Well, do you have any more questions for me?" Zek asked, dropping his own line of questioning and leaning forward as if to stand. Shmi shook her head and Zek smiled, slapping his hands on his legs. "Good, now if you'll excuse me for just a moment, I need to make sure these two nerfherders are packing the cargo correctly."

Shmi nodded and watched Zek move to the rear of the cave where his two men were struggling with a crate.

With Zek out of earshot, Shmi swung her body back to face Ana and Sky. "What is wrong with you two?" She questioned, her voice low.

"It took me a little while to place him, but Zek is not the nice guy he appears to be," Sky leaned forward and spoke.

Shmi narrowed her eyes and shook her head. "Why? What do you know?"

Sky leaned forward more. Shmi glanced over her shoulder where Zek was still occupied with his men and his cargo.

"Just before we met ya, I was in a biddin' war with another shipper (as we call ourselves) for the job that led you to us. The reason I won the job was 'cause the other guy lost his whole crew in a freak accident on entering Tatooine's atmosphere. All us other shipper's heard about it and it didn't sound like no accident I'd ever heard of. It was said that the ship's cargo doors opened while they were descending, and all the crew were sucked out into the upper atmosphere. Only the pilot survived." Sky stopped and gestured to Zek. "Makes you wonder what he was carryin' that made him so ruthless and murderin'."

Shmi considered Sky's words. She had gotten what information she'd wanted from Zek, so it was time they parted ways. She didn't like the feel of him anyway, the way he stared at her was slightly unsettling.

"What you all talkin' 'bout?" Shmi started at the voice of Zek just behind her.

"We were just talking about taking off. I mean, leaving you to your business, and we can get back to ours," Shmi stood and smiled nervously at Zek.

Zek returned the smile but his eyes remained untouched and cold. "We've got to be on our merry way too," he responded. "I hope you find what you are looking for, Shmi," Zek spoke to Shmi, reaching his hand out.

"Thanks for the food," Shmi answered dumbly, taking his hand for a moment before Sky was pulling her from him.

"Yes, thankee," Sky echoed, as he gently pulled Shmi away from Zek.

Zek didn't say another word, he just watched them retreat. Shmi kept her eyes on him as well, until they had rounded the bend in the cave that led back to the outside and he fell from her sight.

"I'm sure glad to be outta there. That man is full of nothing good," Ana finally spoke. Shmi looked to her friend, glad to see that her color was slowly returning.

"Well, at least we got a little information from him," Sky said.

Shmi nodded but didn't respond as the three of them slowly walked back towards the ruined settlement.

Not long after they left the cave they heard the unmistakable sound of ship engines. Pausing, they looked to the sky where they saw the shape of a ship cross their field of vision and disappear into the atmosphere.

"Guess we're alone now," Shmi said, feeling some life returning to her body. The past few days had felt like a dream; like one destined meeting after another. She couldn't believe it had been just luck leading her to the answers she had for so long been seeking, but what else could it be? She had no god. She didn't believe in fate. But the more she learned of the Jedi and the crossing of their history with her own past, she had to believe that some sort of force was at work. Slowly guiding her to the answers she needed to know who she was.

Moments later the trio once again came upon the crumbling Jedi Temple. Shmi paused; the older couple walking a few steps before realizing Shmi was no longer with them.

"I want to go in one more time," Shmi said as she stood staring at the impressive structure.

"Go on, girlie. We'll wait," Sky answered, nudging her in the back.

Shmi took the distance between herself and the temple in a few short strides. Taking a deep breath she mounted the stairs once more. She wasn't sure what she was looking for, but she felt she had to go back in, like there was something she had missed; something vital, something that needed to be found.

Entering the temple once again Shmi found it was darker than before. The sun, which had climbed in the sky while they had been in the cave with Zek, was now setting behind the tall cliff, allowing little light to reach inside the temple. The shadows felt very dark and dense, and the echoes of Shmi's worn shoes sounded muted to her ears. Shmi slowly walked to the rear of the large room where there were no windows adorning the wall.

"I wonder why," Shmi whispered as she turned, leaning her back against the stone wall. Shmi placed her hands palm down against the wall on either side of her. She stood like that for awhile, just breathing. The shadows grew longer and the remaining warmth of the setting sun started to fade. But still Shmi waited. She wasn't sure what she was waiting for, but she knew she needed to wait. Shmi breathed deeply, trying to feel the secret the temple was keeping. She knew, somehow, that there was something here she must find.

Shmi moved her hands, which she had against the wall at her side, up the wall until they formed a cross with her body. The rough, yet also smooth texture of the temple wall was comforting in a way. Shmi shifted her feet, and felt the stone under her right foot rock. Immediately Shmi dropped her hands from the wall, and falling to her knee's she used a piece of one of the smashed tables to pry up the loose stone from the floor.


"Did you find anything?" Ana asked as Shmi descended the stairs of the temple.

"Nothing," was all she responded. Her hand moved to the pocket in her pants, making sure it was still there.

"Well, it had been picked clean," Sky offered, obviously trying to show support. For a moment Shmi felt guilty for hiding her discovery. But something told her that she needed to be more prudent than ever.


They were once again aboard Kianna's Dream and the ship was back on course to wherever it was they were going with the cargo Sky had in the hold. Ana and Sky were resting in their bunks. And Shmi couldn't care less about any of it. Her mind was singular in its purpose.

Sneaking back to the mess area, Shmi once again pulled out Sky's datapads. Only this time she knew which one to pull. Returning to the scarred table, Shmi silently activated the pad, and finding the search parameter she wanted, she accessed the information she needed. About a standard hour or so later, Shmi was done. She stared in shock at what lay before her, letting her eyes travel over it slowly, taking in its meaning.

A noise startled her, and snatching up the delicate piece of cloth that she had spent the last hour translating, Shmi quickly put the datapad back into its place and hurried back to her quarters.

Once back in her private bunk, Shmi read the translation again; the message, a letter from the grave that was written on a tattered and stained rag.

I was told to write this. It will be my final act. He will kill me after I'm done. He's told me so. He says everything that's happened has been according to his plan. He's just told me to stop stalling. His voice is so cold and distant. I can't imagine who he thinks will find this, but I hope someone does.

The following is an accurate account of what happened this night.

Everything that led me to here was because of my children, and my sole purpose in keeping them safe. They were peacefully sleeping when the screams began. Not long after the screams began there was an explosion and the wall of my children's room blew away. They awoke and their screams of terror were all I could hear as I pulled them, cut and bruised but otherwise okay, from the rubble that had partially buried them. My beloved daughter, who was older, asked me why someone would make a hole in our house. I couldn't answer her. She and her younger brother were crying, frightened, and it broke my heart to see them so afraid when I had no way of reassuring them. I didn't know what was happening either.

That was when the old man who lived across the way appeared. Eko. He had a deep gash in his forehead but otherwise he seemed alright. He told me the missionaries had attacked the Jedi at their temple and when the settlers tried to fight back they turned on them too. It's appalling, after all that we have done for them. Giving them shelter, letting them eat our food and share our tables. They were now savagely killing us all. Eko led us to the far side of town, as far from the temple as we could get. The screams and sounds of fighting were muted, but increasing as they methodically moved through the settlement towards us. I knew we wouldn't be safe for long. And I knew I had to save the kids. So I gave my precious girl my necklace, and leaving her and her brother with Eko I headed towards the battling missionaries and settlers, intent on giving Eko time to hide with the kids in one of the many caves on the edge of the settlement. I joined my friends in the fight for our lives, and watched as they fell, one by one; murdered by the missionaries in their long black capes.

I don't know how much time passed, only that soon I was the last one standing. Everyone lay around me, bleeding, broken, dead. I prepared myself to take as many with me before they killed me too, but they didn't attack. They circled me and the one who I guess was their leader approached me. His face was hidden in shadow, masked by an oversized hood on his cloak. I didn't recognize him as one who had been around, sharing fellowship with my friends and neighbors. He didn't speak, but still they all followed him. Two larger ones grabbed me and they paraded through the settlement with complete disregard and disrespect for the fallen. They brought me into the Jedi temple where it was empty and silent. There were a few broken chairs but otherwise no sign of struggle or battle. I asked where the Jedi were, and all I heard was a snigger of laughter. No one answered my question. They placed me in one of the intact chairs then all but the leader left the temple. The air grew cold as I stared at the black shadows hiding half this man's face. He was young, that much I could tell. Maybe twenty and five standard years? I started to ask what he wanted but he raised his hand to silence me.

I can't remember what was said, word for word, but essentially it was this:

Him-"Your children will live. I have decided to let them escape. It was a valiant effort by you to save them. Now I want you to write everything you saw here tonight. After that, you will die. But you'll die knowing your children will live. That must make you…happy."

It seemed difficult for him to speak that word, happy.

Me-"I don't understand, what do you want here?"

Him (his voice colder, and crueler than before)-"I want you to write what has happened here, and then you will die. Do not question me further."

I now sit here, writing as he instructed, any moment now I will reach the end of this, my last act, and I will die. I can only guess someday, someone will read this and know of my fate. I hope whoever does read this, can tell my children (if they still live)-

The account ended here, as if a piece of the cloth had been burned away. Shmi was breathless. Each time she read it she grew more convinced-she was the daughter. But what happened to her brother, and the man Eko who had saved them?What happened to the rest of the document? What more did Shmi's mother want to tell her?

The story Zek had told them in the cave had to be true. This document corroborated that tale almost perfectly. But once again, Shmi found herself with more questions than answers.