Slight heads-up: in this AU, the clone wars is six years long instead of three. Anyway, enjoy:)
Not all stories have happy endings.
It's a fact of life. Some learn to live with it. Others don't, and find themselves lost to the seduction of the Sith or other evil forces. Most never have to face it. At least, now they don't. But all lives tell a story. Whether it's happy or not is beyond your control. This story starts a galaxy long long ago, far far away...
Me and my friend Daniyelle were sitting in our dormitory, talking. I was sixteen years old at that point, a blonde-haired human girl with hair tied in two braids - one large one down my back, and one smaller one down my front. Daniyelle, however, was only twelve. She looked vaguely human, but also not. Her shoulder-length hair was purple, and her skin a light blue. Instead of eyebrows, she had purple eye-markings shadowing her purple eyes.
"So, what's it like?" Daniyelle was asking.
"What's what like?" I asked back.
Daniyelle rolled her eyes. "Being a padawan. Duh."
"Difficult," I replied.
Daniyelle looked as if she was going to respond, but at that moment, two eight year olds burst into the room.
"Vaessa! Daniyelle!" Ryliane said excitedly.
"Yes, Ryliane?" I asked while Daniyelle stuck her tongue out.
Ryliane looked like she was about to burst. "A Senator has been nearly assassinated!"
I raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yes!" Ryliane said impatiently.
"Riley, your sources are never the most accurate," Daniyelle pointed out.
"I'm telling the truth!" Ryliane whined. "Promise! Ask any of your padawan friends, Vaessa, they'll tell you!"
"'Padawan friends'? I said amusedly.
"Why won't you take me seriously?" Ryliane whined.
"Does the 'fire of Tooka Clan' ring a bell?" Daniyelle said critically.
"But..." Ryliane scratched her head.
"She's right," Caleb said. "We overheard the council talking about it."
"And why were you eavesdropping on the council?" I asked testily.
Caleb went bright red.
"Look, Emeryx is currently waiting for me to spar with him, so can you please sort this out without me?" I asked, walking towards the door.
Daniyelle jumped up. "Can I come with you? I love watching you two spar!"
"Can we come too?" Ryliane asked excitedly. Caleb nodded eagerly.
I sighed. "Okay. But no trouble. That means you, Ryliane."
"What?"
"You know what I mean. And don't snicker, Daniyelle, you're not exempt from this either."
Daniyelle scowled. We made our way to the Tooka Clan training room, were a familiar green-skinned togruta was waiting.
"You're late," Emeryx Taelor commented.
"Got side-tracked." I gestured to the younglings behind me.
He nodded. "Ah. So, you wanna get to it?"
I smiled. "You bet."
His blue lightsaber swung at my head. I ducked, drawing my own green one. I slashed at his side, which he blocked. I drew his lightsaber around in a circular motion and aimed a roundhouse kick at his head. He ducked and brought his lightsaber around to meet my neck. I ducked again, and slid between his legs to catch him by surprise. I disarmed him from behind and brought him to his knees, both lightsabers held to his throat.
The younglings erupted in applause. "Rusty, Taelor?" I asked him as I helped him to his feet.
He eyed me with a grin. "You wish, Orin."
"Bravo, kid." Anakin's voice was coming from the doorway. I turned around to see him leaning against a pillar.
"Anakin Skywalker?" Ryliane exclaimed, her jaw dropping to the floor. Caleb Dume went bright red, and even Daniyelle looked nervous. I smiled. Their nervousness to meet the chosen one was honestly rather amusing, considering I knew him as a younger sister almost. Him and his master been the ones to take me and Daniyelle back to the temple, and he had supervised me and Emeryx getting our lightsabers. A bunch of crazy stuff had interrupted that trip, though, and it had ended up serving as Initiate Trials for me and Emeryx, and Great Trials for Anakin.
"Hey, Skywalker," I replied. "What're you doing in the Tooka section? I thought your quarters were in the Dewback section."
"They are. I just wanted to say goodbye to you before I head off on my mission," he explained.
"What mission?" I asked.
"Don't you know? I thought I told that youngling to spread the word... anyway, Senator Amidala was nearly assassinated earlier -"
"TOLD YOU!"
I laughed at Anakin's surprised face. "Thank you, er..."
"Ryliane," Ryliane supplied.
"Ryliane," Anakin finished. "Anyway, I was sent to protect her. I wasn't told when this mission would be over, so I decided to go and say bye to you." He began to leave.
"Aren't you scared?" Caleb asked.
"Nah, exciting stuff like this never happens," he replied before exiting.
I shook my head. "Honestly, that boy... so, who's gonna go up next?"
…
I wondered through mine and my master's quarters to my room. His head popped out of his own room. "Hello, Vaessa. How are you?"
I smiled. "I'm good, master," I replied. My master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, smiled back. He was one of the greatest knights in the order, being trained by Qui-Gon Jinn. I had never met him, as he died before I was taken to the temple, but both my master and Anakin often said he was a great jedi. I'm not sure the council likes him much, but then again, they're not too keen on Anakin either.
"Have you heard about Anakin's new mission?" he asked. I may have been imagining it, but I thought there was a hint of tension in his voice.
"Yes," I smiled. "He seemed rather happy about it."
Obi-Wan nodded. "That's what concerns me," he muttered.
I frowned. "I'm sorry, master, I don't quite understand."
"Vaessa, Anakin has known the Senator for a long time. Long enough to form an attachment. I fear if he is assigned to this mission for an extended period of time, that attachment will only grow."
I widened my eyes. "But Anakin wouldn't do anything foolish... would he?"
"I hope not, for his sake," Obi-Wan replied.
Pronunciations -
Daniyelle - Dan-I-yell
Vaessa - Vay-es-ah
Ryliane - R-I-lee-ane
Anyway, see you in chapter two!:)
