Qua'ra's husband Gore Holdo, as well as Kat'ka's husband Valo Ensi, died not too long ago. Now, it was just Qua'ra, Kat'ka, their brother Tack | Daaron, their eldest sister Melena, and their youngest sister Zeena, along with their children and grandchildren who waited inside the temple's war room on Zafna for rescue. Qua'ra couldn't believe that she was about to lose the planet and the Shadow Empire.
Was anything sacred? She guessed not.
Qua'ra, in her human form, had long brunette hair, pale skin, green eyes that sparkled like diamonds, and a thin frame, thanks to all the exercise she put into keeping her body healthy, so she could retain her light brown lioness form, which had long jagged scars and cuts running down her body and her head. The clothes she wore today were a turquoise hoodie jacket, a purple shirt over a white shirt, blue jeans, and black boots. It reminded her she needed to run today, and run she would do.
Kat'ka, in her human form, had pale skin, fair features like her sisters Melena, Qua'ra, and Zeena, and bright green eyes which grew brighter by the day. She wore a grey jacket, a dark blue shirt, dark blue pants, and black boots. She claimed she wasn't as pretty as her sisters, but lately she didn't seem bothered by it, which was a good thing. It meant that she could focus on life a lot better, given her husband Valo Ensi's death by the Renegade Alliance. Her other form was a lioness, the same as her sister Qua'ra, Melena, and Zeena. Tack was the only one of their siblings who could shapeshift into a lion, and that was fine with Kat'ka. It evened the odds a bit between them.
Melena, in her human form, had curly locks of brunette hair pulled back into a ponytail, green eyes that was as bright as crystals, pale skin, and was donned in brown robes. She also carried a staff with her, in case she was in danger and needed a weapon to defend herself.
Zeena, in her human form, had shoulder-length brunette hair, green eyes like her sisters, pale skin, and a thin frame. Today, she wore a brown hoodie jacket, a grey shirt, blue jeans, and long black boots. She was grateful her boots had traction in them. She needed it for today.
Tack retained his golden-brown lion form. He hadn't changed into any other form, since the Shapeshifter's Migration to the First Age and that's what he would become for the time being. No one could make him turn into someone else. This was what he wanted, at least for a while.
They waited for a miracle to come, the siblings did. However, fate could not come sooner, for the walls in the pearly-white temple were starting to cave in and collapse.
"Come on, Parker. Where are you?" Qua'ra asked, checking the time. Not long now before the planet Zafna changed into a barren landscape. It was now or never.
.
Parker looked at his surroundings. The temples on Zafna… they were collapsing. He looked up at the pearly-white temple standing before him and the marketplace looming below it. This temple, too, was falling apart. Oh no! He recognized this temple. That only meant one thing: Qua'ra and her family were inside!
He rushed past a couple of people and scarred lions and lionesses on his way inside the temple. After dodging a couple of corridors, he made it inside the large war room with its grand holoterminals. There was Qua'ra, sitting with her family. They locked eyes, causing Qua'ra to stand up.
"Come on!" Parker cried, just as another pillar fell in front of him. He moved out of the way before that occurred. He looked up at Qua'ra, watching her and her siblings, along with their children and grandchildren, darted out of the war room with the light red dragonoid following closely behind them.
Onwards, they journeyed down the corridors. The temple was collapsing in on itself. Parker searched for a portal, anything to help them out. At last, he found one! There was a gold-rimmed portal, revealing the Portal Realm on the other side. Parker dived through the portal, landing safely back on the Portal Realm's grassy field.
He looked up as Qua'ra made it through the portal, along with her children. She looked around, noticing Melena followed her next, as did Tack, Kat'ka, and Kat'ka's children and grandchildren. Qua'ra's grandchildren joined them, one mother carrying an infant.
Everyone was here. Well, almost everyone.
Qua'ra turned her attention to the portal. Zeena was still darting down the corridors. She had to hurry and fast!
"Come on, Zeena! It's not that far now!" Qua'ra said, reaching out to grab her, just as Melena pulled her back.
The temple collapsed in on itself. Zeena let out a cry, transforming into a lioness right as the temple's roof fell in. The image went black, right as Zeena looked up at her sister, while laying under a fallen pillar. Another pillar fell, followed by the roof smashing on her. The portal vanished, leaving Qua'ra confused, then shocked.
Zeena. Her sister Zeena was… dead.
.
Qua'ra looked around at all her citizens who entered the Portal Realm. Aslan tended to their injuries, as did the Jedi Knight, who returned shortly afterwards with a bunch of Padawans. Parker spoke with them and helped Qua'ra's citizens as best he could.
Qua'ra couldn't believe it. Her sister Zeena did not make it to the portal. What was she doing inside the temple, while everyone else fled? It was hard to say, but that aching pain she had in her chest would not leave.
She could not lose anymore of her family. No, not one bit! She missed her sister dearly. Would she ever see Zeena again? Or was this her final fate?
Kat'ka joined Qua'ra a moment later, taking in their surroundings. "I'm sorry. I know Zeena meant the world to us. She's not gone. Look!" She pointed out Zeena walking around and playing with the scarred lions and lionesses. Qua'ra couldn't believe it! Zeena was alive! Or was she? There was a head wound from Zeena's injuries, but that faded fast.
"Is—Is she alive?" Qua'ra asked, excited.
"No," Aslan said, curtly. "No, she's dead. She died in the temple." Qua'ra looked down at the grassy field. She hated to hear that. "Are you angry? It's all right to release your emotions. I know how hard it must be for you."
"Zeena's dead and now there's one less of my family alive," Qua'ra said, calmly. "The Shadow Empire's fallen. I'll be a disgrace to those who know me and those who don't know me, if they already figured that out." She folded her arms, admitting. "I don't know about Melena. She seems all right with keeping her name intact. But for me… I'd rather be called Scar-ra. I'm shedding my old name. Parker can remember me by it. I'll let him call me Qua'ra from now on, too, if that's what he decides. But for everyone else, I'm Scar-ra and I will change into my scarred lioness form, in memory of my husband Gore."
"As you should," Gore Holdo, who was now a scarred lion, replied in a kind voice. "Valo's choosing to call himself Valentino now. Just Valentino. He's shed his old name, too. I myself have a new name, too. It's Gore. Just Gore. No last name."
Scar-ra chuckled, tears streaming down her face. She couldn't let Zeena go. It was too soon! She had to mourn for her youngest sister! It was the only way to get over her pain quicker… or not. She could mourn in her own time. For now, it seemed everyone was focused on other conversations… this was just too hard on her right now. She needed to find somewhere to mourn, but how?
"Well, I might as well call myself Katrina. Get it done and over with," Kat'ka said, now Katrina.
Scar-ra nodded. She looked at Katrina, asking her, "Are you ready to transform?"
"I am," Katrina nodded back.
Scar-ra sighed. There was nothing for it now.
"Then come on. Let's be scarred lionesses then," Scar-ra said, transforming into a light brown scarred lioness.
"I'll join you," Katrina said, also turning into a scarred lioness with brown fur.
Tack returned to the group, stunned to see his two sisters were now scarred lionesses. "Ah! Shedding your old lives!"
"They're our true forms. I see you're no longer using the name Daaron. Your birth name," Scar-ra said, intrigued. Fresh tears streamed down her face. She couldn't hide her pain.
Tack shook his head. "Ah. It wasn't for me." He nodded to her silently, understanding the pain Scar-ra was going through. He approached his big sister, hugging her as best he could. He would not see his sister mourn for their youngest sister alone.
"Thank you, Tack. I'm feeling a little better now," Scar-ra said, the pain still aching in her chest.
"It's not over. She's well. Zeena will be all right, as will you, my dear sister," Tack said with a warm, friendly smile.
"It's just as well," Katrina said with a smile. "Welcome back, brother."
"Thanks," Tack said, still mourning over the loss of their sister. He looked at his family, convinced they were doing the right thing. "Well, here's hoping we find a new home soon enough."
Scar-ra sighed, gazing at Zeena. Zeena was home, but Scar-ra knew her journey wasn't over. As she gazed at Aslan and Parker, who approached them and spoke to them all, one thing was clear: The Shapeshifter's Migration was about to begin.