Chapter 8: The Village

I stood alone in front of an onion-shaped, wooden hut. It appeared to be carefully made, creatively adorned with simple, natural materials. The bucolic community in which the tiny shelter stood emanated an aura of peace and tranquility, which was accentuated by the joyful, carefree laughter of children behind me. The earthen, vibrant tones this village exuded seemed so foreign to me now as the memory of the slow destruction of my planet raged in my mind. It became almost tortuous to realize that this village - and perhaps this entire planet - was the complete opposite of Grá, that it was what I so desperately wished my planet could be once more.

I continued the silent inspection of my new surroundings as I entered the empty hut warily, my steps slow and deliberate as though I were walking into a trap. The heady smell of wood and lavender instantly invaded my nostrils, which somewhat succeeded at reducing my anxiety. I set my bag beside my feet as I scanned my temporary shelter, taking in what appeared to be a barn stocked plentifully with various barrels, crates, and sacs of grain.

A couple of light knocks sounded upon the entrance behind me.

The woman Din had reunited with at the tavern stood meekly at the threshold, smiling warmly as I met her eyes. "I'm Omera," she began, her gentle voice matching her expression.

She didn't appear to bear any ill will. It even seemed as though she was looking forward to making my acquaintance.

Could I say the same?

My eyes darted downwards to her outstretched hand. After a few heartbeats, I finally willed myself to force a smile and take it. "Luna," I replied curtly.

"It's nice to meet you, Luna. He speaks very highly of you." Her full lips curled into an even wider smile as her dark eyes flitted to Din's form. I couldn't help but follow her longing gaze. Din, with the child and Cara by his side, conversed with some of the local villagers a few meters from us. The community rejoiced at their unexpected return, showering them with embraces and handshakes as they made their way through the crowd. When Omera turned her attention back to me, however, her expression morphed into worry. "I am sorry for what you and your people are going through. It was not too long ago that our village was in peril as well." She gestured towards Din and Cara. "If it hadn't been for them, I don't know what would've happened to us."

The empathy that reverberated through me tempered my resistance to becoming acquainted with Omera. Seeing the village's prosperity now, I would never have assumed that it had undergone such hardship so recently. But how exactly did Din and Cara liberate this village? Perhaps that was how they had met. "It's good to know that they were here to help," I replied genuinely. I shifted on my feet as my posture slightly relaxed. "I know what it's like to have your back against the wall."

She gave me a sombre nod, as though simultaneously remembering what had occurred and realizing the hardships that were in my near future. "We are mere farmers, but," she handed me a plate of food that was generously filled to the brim, "we will give you whatever you need. All you need to do is ask."

My stare remained fixed upon her offering as the unexpected gesture caught me by surprise. Omera coaxed me to take the plate once more. I took it with a stable grip and nodded to her in sincere gratitude. "We thank you for the help that you are providing us. Truly." I placed the plate on the table beside me. "These are not good times."

"Omera?"

Tenderness coated Din's voice as he said her name.

My spine stiffened.

I pretended to busy myself with my belongings as he approached, his pace steady and full of intent.

Omera excused herself and walked directly to him, a wide grin plastered on her angular face. She stopped mere inches from his form and took his hands in hers. Din tilted his head downward, regarding her.

My heart constricted at the closeness they displayed, though I willed myself to remain expressionless. Blank. Not interested in their exhibition of familiarity, I turned my back towards them and attempted to get settled.

Din continued, "Could we gather the supplies?"

"Of course," Omera replied, her voice softer than a feather. "I will give you whatever you need." A pause. "We all will."

After a few moments, her light footsteps faded into the distance.

Annoyance steadily rose within me. I garnered enough resolve to turn on my heel and head for the door. Why in the hell was I trying to get comfortable in a strange barn when I can easily just stay on the ship? Muttering light curses to myself, I swiftly exited the shelter and hopped off the wooden steps.

"Luna, where are you going?"

The sternness that lined Din's voice caught me off-guard and stopped me in my tracks momentarily.

"Just going for a walk," was my hasty reply. I continued to march forward, not turning back.

"You shouldn't be wandering off alone."

Albeit frustrated, I forced a placating smile as I faced him. I lifted the side of my tunic and revealed my holstered blaster. "I've got it covered."

Omera called out lightly for Din and garnered his attention. I used this opportune moment to continue walking away, my quick steps taking me farther towards the Razor Crest in the distance.

I made it to the side of the ship and plopped down promptly on the extended rear ramp. It was undesirable to be in Din's company at that point, and a part of me revelled in this moment of solitude - and yet, here I was on his ship, seeking its familiarity and comfort. The conflicting emotions that raged within me only managed to frustrate me even more. Perhaps I had just deluded myself into thinking that there was...something. Something where there was nothing. But why was I even so upset? Din was a free man, was he not?

"Din said that you might be here."

I sat up with a start at the sound of Cara's voice. As she looked down upon me, she gave me a once-over, her knowing eyes appearing to see right through me. "You look pretty wound up."

"Somewhat." I shrugged a shoulder as I stood. "I just have a lot on my mind right now."

Cara gave me another appraising look, pressing her tongue upon the inside of her cheek as she did so. The gears in her head were visibly turning. "Did your father teach you how to fight?"

"Yes. A long time ago." I raised a brow and eyed her suspiciously. "Why?"

A side smirk formed on her face, accentuating the small tattoo on her left cheek. "Let's spar. It might help you deal with," she motioned her hand in haphazard circles in my direction, "whatever the hell is going on here."

Given that she had only known me for less than a day, it was astonishing to see how easily she was able to read me; it was either that, or perhaps I was too much of an open book, my emotions so transparent to those around me. I considered her offer for a brief moment, then shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly. "Sure. I think it'll do me some good."

With a pleased grin, Cara quickly fashioned a pair of nearby tree branches into suitable training sticks.

"I appreciate that you're helping us, by the way," I said as she tossed me one of the branches. "I know it's a lot to ask of you. It really isn't your fight."

"Well, some of us don't have planets to come home to," she replied, gripping her branch tightly. Her lips slightly quivered at this statement, but I remained focused on her eyes. She sniffed and cocked her head to the side as the vigour in her expression returned. "So, hell yeah, I'll help someone get theirs back. We can't let the scums of the galaxy win. Especially when they're trying to take everything from us."

A frown tugged at my lips. Though her exterior was rough and strong, I knew that, somewhere deep down inside of her, the younger, more innocent Cara remained. Hurting. The woman who was standing before me now was only attempting to avenge what had been done to her, her people, and her planet. By taking everything from her, the Empire molded her into what she is now. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, Cara," I offered, taking my place in front of her. "It seems as though everyone I've been meeting lately has endured their own form of pain and suffering."

"No need for a pity party," she gave her head a firm shake, her strength of character clearly emanating from her eyes, "but thank you." She easily twirled the branch in her hand, her "weapon" moving in perfect balance, then gave me a firm nod. "Now...show me what you know, Luna."

I reached into the deep recesses of my mind to recall what my father had taught me all those years ago. The fighting stance came easily. I held the stick firmly in front of me with both hands and spread my feet apart, with my left leg in the lead and my right leg slightly behind as a supporting base. Feeling out my balance, I ensured that my centre of gravity was sound, then looked up at Cara with lightning focus.

Her impressed expression lifted my spirits. "Hey, you have the pointy part faced towards me, so you're already doing a lot better than some of the people I've trained in the past!" She released a snort at the memory, then tapped my stick with hers. "Ok, now try a simple offensive attack."

With a light cry, I began with an overhand right swing, aiming for the side of Cara's neck. She hopped backwards in a smooth movement, easily evading the swing. My feet reset. I pressed forward and attempted again, this time thrusting the branch towards her torso, then swinging upwards in an attempt to catch her off-guard. She read my attack perfectly and parried my swings, the defensive manoeuvre almost knocking the branch from my hands.

In a rapid movement, Cara retaliated with her own offensive blow. I was too slow to evade the swing. With little recourse, I parried the attack in turn. The force of the blow caused me to turn to the side, exposing my back. Seizing the opportunity, Cara grunted with effort as she swung at my vulnerable area. Instead of ducking or sidestepping, I twisted on my heel as quickly as I could in a counterattack. As I turned to swing, our branches collided, crossing perfectly in the middle. Cara let out a laugh as she pressed down, attempting to gain the advantage.

"How are you…" I grunted through my effort, using every ounce of strength that I had to push her back, "...so...strong?!"

Cara continued her onslaught with a smile and raised brows, exhibiting absolutely no signs of struggle. "It's a gift."

"You are enjoying this..." I slipped farther down. My feet scraped on the grass as it steadily lost its traction, unable to bear the force that she was pushing upon me, "...way too much!"

Without warning, our sticks flew from our hands, violently flying in opposite directions. We both began to lose our balance at the abrupt movement. Before I could tumble to the ground, however, I suddenly felt myself becoming weightless, floating higher and higher towards the sky in a slow but steady movement. Though I felt no pain, I let out a panicked cry, eyes wide as I attempted to grab at the ground below me - at anything that would help keep me in place. To my right, I perceived Cara in the same situation, attempting to remain upright herself and letting loose some expletives in the process.

"Cara?" I called out unsurely, fear lining my tone.

"Kid!" she cried, waving her hands furiously. "Stop!"

"What?" I breathed out, confused.

My head turned in the direction of Cara's gaze.

The child stood a few meters from us, tiny hands extended in the air, eyes closed in concentration. He slightly shook in effort, though made no sound.

"Baby?" My voice came out as a squeak at first as my mind attempted to understand the situation. When I finally realized that he was the one causing us to float, I shouted, "Little one, please stop!"

His eyes snapped open then.

As his hands fell, so did we.

Cara and I landed roughly on the hard ground, limbs askew.

"Ow," Cara faintly mumbled as she massaged her head. Quickly recovering, she hopped to her feet and immediately raced to the child. "Little guy, it's fine." She rested her knees on the ground as she cupped his cheek in her hand. "We were just practicing, okay?"

I pushed myself off the ground and watched this exchange, wholly dumbfounded.

It took a few moments for me to notice that our commotion had garnered the attention of some of the villagers working nearby. One by one, they curiously made their way towards us, calling out to confirm if we were alright. The glint of Din's helmet in the afternoon sun was difficult to miss as he speedily zigzagged through the forming crowd. Several other villagers followed him, including Omera, as they spoke with each other in hushed tones. When Din noticed me on the ground, he quickened his pace and rushed towards us. "What happened?" he queried worriedly, surveying the scene before him.

"He did the magic hand thing," Cara informed him in a casual manner as she nodded to the child.

Though I managed to stand, I remained where I was, still unbelieving of what had just occurred.

Din strode towards me and placed a firm hand on my cheek. "Are you alright?" he asked, troubled.

Despite his concern, I took a step back, as though burned. "The child…" I sputtered, gesturing to the little one, "he...he did something…"

At this point, the child waddled towards us, wearing a noticeable frown on his face. I jogged towards him and examined his visibly fatigued form. I gave him a thorough once-over to ensure that he wasn't injured, then squatted to his level and embraced him. "I'm sorry that we scared you, baby. We didn't mean to."

A tri-fingered hand rested on my cheek.

Cara stalked to our side and shrugged her shoulders. "Hey, at least he didn't choke us!"

Din let out a prolonged sigh as he clasped his hands behind his helmet. "Cara, take the child to the barn. I'll be there shortly."

My steely gaze bore through Din as the crowd withdrew. Without another word, he took my arm and pulled me away from the village dwellings. He walked so quickly that I had trouble keeping up. As we strode into the cover of the forest, he scanned our surroundings, then faced me.

I reclaimed my arm and threw him a piercing stare. "Did you know that he could do things like that?"

"Yes."

I outstretched my arms to my sides in disbelief. "And when were you planning to tell me?"

"The child is safer if less people know what he's capable of," he stated evenly, his stance firm.

"Do you think that I would harm even a hair on that child?" I snarled viciously, my emotions now overflowing. "I have done nothing but care for him, make sure that he's…"

Din firmly gripped my upper arms and pulled me closer to him. "You know that's not what I meant." His fingers slightly relaxed when he felt my body tense. "Luna…"

"I just don't understand what happened." The pent up frustration within me, compounded by what had just occurred, caused my eyes to well up with tears. My voice trembled. "Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

At that moment, I didn't even know if I was only talking about the child.

"I don't entirely understand it either," Din admitted lowly, his voice softening, "but this is why I was tasked to bring him to sorcerers."

"Sorcerers?"

"The Jedi."

(V)(V)(V)

I quietly observed the child through the barn window as he merrily played with the village children between the surrounding huts. His carefree, innocent nature had betrayed no signs of his abilities. The events of that afternoon replayed in my mind. No matter how he had developed his gifts, I realized then why Din said that he was special - and why there were bounty hunters after him. Cara had mentioned that Din was going to leave him here, but since hunters were able to track him, this planet became unsafe. It was difficult to even imagine that Din could ever be parted from the child, whether on the run or not.

Faint voices outside the barn interrupted my rumination.

"You can...stay with me tonight," Omera said quietly. Ardently.

There was a long pause before Din replied with, "I'm sorry, but...I need to stay here."

Another long silence.

The soft ruffling of clothing.

"I understand," she finally replied, disappointment lining her tone.

Quick footsteps sounded shortly afterwards. Din hopped up the wooden steps and entered the barn. My body tensed at his presence; a remnant of the time when I had been his captive, fearful of what was to come. Of the unknown. I cleared my throat in an attempt to relax and continued to prepare my makeshift bed. Din traversed the length of the barn and began to rummage through his belongings. From the corner of my eye, I could see his head turn almost imperceptibly to face me. He was the first to break the prolonged silence.

"She's a good woman."

My fist tightened, crumpling the blanket that I held between my fingers. I nodded automatically in reply, though unconcerned about whether he saw the gesture or not. "I appreciate her kindness," I replied honestly.

The crickets outside seemed to chirp just a little louder.

Din halted what he was doing. "You shouldn't be sparring with Cara," he stated evenly.

"What?"

"She was a soldier, Luna. Fighting was her life."

I never took kindly to being underestimated. Or treated like a child. My chin tilted upwards as pride, instead of reason, overtook me. "I can take care of myself."

Din released a frustrated sigh, then gripped my upper arm as I walked past him. My heart leapt at the sudden movement. He held me in place, though not tightly enough to cause me pain. I remained steady, despite the urge to reach out to him. He lowered his head, and I was met by my own reflection upon his helmet. "I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Too late for that, I scoffed to myself.

I kept silent and didn't break his stare.

"You can't just make decisions without thinking them through," he continued in a steady tone as he tugged me towards him. "You make the wrong decision and you get killed."

"I appreciate the concern," I said truthfully, though pulled my arm away from him, "but it's unwarranted. It was a sparring session, Din. That's all."

Din's spine visibly stiffened at my actions. He persisted to stand in front of me as I began to move away. "This isn't just about today, Luna." His fingertips pressed upon my chin, urging me to look upwards at him. "You are going down a path where there is no turning back."

Resolve burned within me. "I don't plan on turning back, Din." I gazed upwards at his visor. "Even if it kills me."

(V)(V)(V)

A/N: Woo, I managed to finish this chappy! Life's been super busy, so please excuse the longer-than-normal update. I just really wanted to ensure the mood of this chapter was spot on, so it required a lot of reworking. Y'all feel that tension? lol Hope you guys liked the final version. Love you guys! Cheers. xx IFHD