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"Sierra, you're late!...Again!" Sierra stepped into class, not liking how everybody was staring at her.
"Sorry Mr. Brunell, I was running late this morning..."
"Twenty minutes late? Somehow I find that hard to believe..." Sierra rolled her eyes, pushing past her teacher in a huff of annoyance.
"Well, believe whatever you want, that's what happened." She said, walking to her seat and setting down her book bag.
"Talk to me after class.." He said, eyeing her with anger. He proceeded to the front of the class and began teaching again. Sierra stared out the window, envying the people in their speeders or walking in the streets. They didn't have to sit in class all day with a bunch of people who they hated. Why was she supposed to care about any of this stuff? She was just going to join Death Watch as soon as she turned 16, so it's not like her life depended on her grammar skills.
"...isn't that right, Sierra?" She turned around in her desk, suppressing an annoyed huff.
"What, so just because I showed up late you're going to pick on me? You know I'm not gonna know what you're talking about."
"Just answer the question, Sierra." She was starting to get frustrated. Why did everybody in this kriffing place have it out for her?
"No. I don't know the answer, I wasn't paying attention, call on someone else." She said with little emotion.
"Keep this insubordinate behavior up and you'll earn yourself a trip to the principal's office." She rolled her eyes at him, not caring that she was disrupting class for the second time.
"Fine, see if I care." She picked up her bag again, which she hadn't even had the chance to open yet, and walked casually out of class. Oh well, she thought to herself, I tried to be nice. Not my fault. Instead of going to the principal's office, however, she made for the front doors and didn't look back.
Staring out at the lake, Sierra let out a deep sigh. Why did everybody at that school hate her so much? Was it because her aunt was in Death Watch? That's what it seemed like, anyway. People were always calling her a terrorist, warmonger, ect. She never got a break, even getting bullied because of it on a few occasions. Why didn't they understand that Death Watch was fighting for them? She-who-shall-not-be-named has left a bunch of spineless pacifists in her path, completely changing who were once strong, fierce warriors into sissies. Death Watch was going to fix it, just as soon as Prime Minister Almec was out of the picture. Sierra often dreamed of the day that she became a soldier, to fly alongside her fellow brothers and sisters and take back the planet for the true Mandalorians.
She was snapped out of her thoughts as her watch beeped. School was over, and she should be getting home. She stood up, and brushed the pine needles off of her clothes before heading back towards the city. She was in her favorite spot, a small patch of pine trees in the park, on the other side of the lake. Hardly anybody came out here, and that was why she liked it. She took one last look at the park before hopping on the shuttle to her neighborhood. After a short drive, she hopped off of the shuttle and began her walk home.
"Well, well, who do we have here?" She stopped dead in her tracks as James, a stuck up arrogant jerk from school, and a few other boys popped out of the alley and blocked her path.
"Leave me alone, James." She tried to push past him, but he grabbed her shoulder and threw her backwards. She rammed against a wall, as the others closed all of the gaps.
"Where is your precious aunt to save you now, Sierra?" She stumbled backwards a bit, not sure of what to do. There were six guys blocking her exit, and they all looked pretty strong...
"Please, just... don't hurt me! I didn't do anything!" His only reply, however, was just a sarcastic snort. They started toward her again, closing the distance , until Sierra was pressed against a window. Two of the guys put their hands on her shoulders and kept shoving her in different directions.
"Leave me alone!" Sierra shouted, her anger surpassing her fear. To her astonishment, a few of them fell to the ground, covering their faces and crying out in pain while the others backed away slowly, staring behind her. She whipped around, to find the window she was pressed against smashed into a million pieces. Not wanting to waste an invaluable chance to escape, she fled, not daring to look back.
"Ding Dong!" Without waiting for a reply, Korkie let himself in while earning an eye-roll from Sierra, standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
"Come on in,"she said sarcastically,"make yourself at home." He chuckled, setting down his backpack and automatically making his way to the fridge.
"Sohmf, mis your faunt gonnha mihwnd thfat I'm hewre?" Sierra pretended to facepalm as her cousin stuffed his face.
"No, I don't think so. Who wouldn't mind you coming over unannounced and eating all of our food?" He swallowed the rest of the sandwich he was eating and scoffed.
"Come on, you know you love me." She smiled, punching him in the arm.
"That I do, Korkie, that I do... Want some popcorn? I was thinking about putting on a movie or something." She already knew what the answer would be, knowing her cousin. Korkie loved his food, and never turned down a snack.
"Aww yeah! That sounds awesome! What movie do you want to watch?" She shrugged, hanging his backpack on the hook.
"I don't know, whatever we've got is fine. Grab me a bowl, would ya?" He nodded, and opened the cabinet below him, pulling out a large white bowl. Sierra reached up next to him to pull out the popcorn from the cupboard.
"Hey, what's up with your shoulder?" She turned around looking at her shoulder to see what he was talking about. It was then that she noticed she had quite a large bruise, probably from the scuffle she got into today. Figures, she wouldn't get that past Korkie. He was always looking out for her, which was nice, but it sometimes bordered on the annoying and overprotective.
"It's nothing...So just go sit down and pick out a movie-"
"Sierra." She looked at him, seeing his eyes full of concern, and sighed.
"Look, just... I had a run-in with these guys from school, no big deal." She turned around to walk to the microwave, with Korkie right on her heels.
"What do you mean, no big deal? Very big deal! Did you tell anybody?"
"No, of course not." she said, putting the popcorn in and setting the time. "I kinda ditched school today. They wouldn't help me anyway, you know they all hate me."
"That's not true, Sierra! I'm sure if you-... wait, what do you mean you ditched school today? We walked together just this morning!"
"Mr. Bunell was giving me trouble because I was late, threatened to send me to the principal's, excetera excetera... Look, just... please don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Next year I'll finally be old enough to join the Watch! Hopefully..." Korkie sighed, giving her his famous look signaling he wasn't thrilled with the idea.
"Yeah, can't wait..." He said sarcastically. "Is it too late to try and convince you to come to the academy instead?"
"By a long shot, cousin," She said, setting the timer on the microwave. "I know you're not thrilled about the Death Watch thing, but it's a cause I really stand behind. Much better than being a stuffy politician, or one of their bodyguards." Sierra got the popcorn out of the microwave and the two made their way to the common room.
"You know how I feel about the Death Watch Sierra, but that's not the point. I love you, and Aunt Bo, and I'll be by your side no matter what. I just wish you'd give it a chance. Death Watch is always getting into fights, not to mention what's been happening lately... It's dangerous, and I'd worry about you."
"For the last time, you don't need to worry about me Korkie. And you'll see, things will change on Mandalore soon. The people will realize we're fighting to restore Mandalore's honor, giving the planet security and the force to fight back against anyone who'd dare. The late duchess turned Mandalore from a proud people into a joke, and left us dangerously exposed with all that pacifist nonsense. Don't you want to see the day we get back to the old ways?"
"But is violence really the best way to achieve that? It's something they talk a lot about at the academy, teaching us how to lead Mandalore to an age of peace and prosperity. We don't need Death Watch to bully the galaxy into respecting us, and vigilante justice gets in the way of real and impactful legislation. I mean, do you really want to fly around Mandalore blowing stuff up? What if it came to the day I had to arrest you?"
"As if you could! I would have you on the ground in two seconds flat!" She joked, punching him lightly in the arm and restoring the playful mood from earlier.
"You'd be surprised what I'm capable of." Korkie responded, flexing his arms in a pathetic attempt at showing off non-existent muscles.
"Ok sure," she said sarcastically, "and Korkie?"
"Yes?"
"Would you kindly pick a movie now?"
"Sierra! I'm home!" Bo-Katan walked through the door, taking off her coat and sweeping her ginger hair to the side. She put her bag down, and noticed that Korkie's school bag was on the hook. "Sierra?"
She walked into the living room, to find her and Korkie both asleep on the couch, Sierra using his shoulder as a pillow. She smiled a bit, loving how her niece and nephew got along so well. She turned off the holo-tv, which was playing nothing but news, and turned off the light.
"Good night kids," She whispered, covering them with a blanket to the best of her ability. "sleep tight." Bo-Katan walked out of the room and into hers, sitting on the bed and letting out a long sigh. She hated how often she had to leave Sierra by herself because of her Death Watch obligations. Sierra was a good child, with not a lot of need for parental supervision, but she hated it nonetheless. She chuckled a bit. I bet her true parents would have a thing or two to say about that... But sadly, they never would. She had never told Sierra much about her parents other than that they were dead, which wasn't entirely true.
The truth was that her father wasn't dead, but for all the impact he would have on her life he might as well be. She wondered if he even knew Sierra existed. He probably didn't, seeing as how he was a Jedi and not supposed to have children anyways, and her mother had given her away as soon as she was born. She loved Sierra like her own, but her mother was Bo-Katan's sister. She had given Sierra to Bo- Katan for safety, and to protect her Jedi lover's reputation. Even if she couldn't give Sierra the parents she deserved, she would do the best she knew how to.
Hi guys! So sorry I'm late posting this chapter, last night I was too tired. Please R&R!